The Government’s Christmas relaxation of Covid-19 rules between December 23rd and December 27th will allow up to three families to mix over the holidays as local rules are lifted.
This move is expected to bring with it a surge in the use of public transport, especially the rail network.
Normal weekday services will run on December 23rd although from Christmas Eve no rail services are able to operate between Reading and London Paddington, replacement bus services will operate or customers trying to get to London can travel on South Western Railway between Reading and Waterloo but are being warned that strike action is likely to affect service frequency.
There will be no Great Western Railway train services on either Friday 25th or Saturday 26th December so if you are planning on travelling to form a bubble this Christmas you are being urged to plan your journey carefully to avoid overcrowding.
On Sunday 27th December Network Rail will be working on the tracks to the north of Bristol Temple Meads. As a result, buses will replace all trains from Bristol Parkway and Bath Spa to Bristol Temple Meads affecting all journeys going West.
The rail replacement will also be in operation on the 27th between Reading and London Paddington.
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “It’s absolutely essential that Network Rail do this work, and Christmas is the only time that we can do it. Unfortunately, this means that we are not able to offer services between Reading and London Paddington on the 24 and 27 December.
“With industrial action on the South Western Railway network there are limited options for alternative travel on those dates and we advise customers to carefully consider this before they travel.
“A reduced service will be back running on the 28 December, with our full and improved timetable from Thursday 2 January. I am grateful to customers for their patience during these works.”
More details about the impact of the planned engineering work on trains during the Christmas and New Year period can be found at GWR.com/Christmas.
