A warning to travellers: no trains running from Bath Spa this weekend
No trains will stop at Bath Spa for the weekend of 8 to 9 April, as work takes place to get the station ready for new trains entering service later this year.
What's happening?
Network Rail is carrying out a £15m improvement scheme at the station, which includes modernising Bath Spa in preparation for new, longer trains.
The work will include making the platforms wider and will also reduce the stepping distance to and from trains by 50%.
How could I be affected?
Some train services will be diverted and buses will replace trains for journeys into and out of Bath Spa.
Changes to services:
between Portsmouth and Cardiff, customers will need to change at Swindon for connecting services
a train shuttle service will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff Central
High Speed Trains between Bristol Temple Meads and London Paddington will be diverted, and will not stop at Bath Spa or Chippenham
High Speed Trains will run between Chippenham and London Paddington
trains that normally run between Weymouth and Bristol Temple Meads will run between Weymouth and Westbury
TransWilts services between Westbury and Swindon will be provided by Portsmouth to Swindon services, with some calling at Melksham
Car parking at the station is also affected between April 1st and April 30th, though the drop-off point and the Blue Badge parking spaces will remain open.
Bath Rugby fans heading to Twickenham to watch their team face Leicester Tigers are advised to set off early and plan their journey carefully.
Why now?
Network Rail say the decision to carry out the works over these weekends comes after their research shows that fewer people travel at Easter than at other times.
Network Rail and GWR say they are working with Bath & North East Somerset Council to keep disruption to a minimum during the upgrade, keeping trains running through the station on weekdays during the two-week period of works.