Strikes, rail replacements and engineering work disrupt train services from Bedwyn for several months

Bedwyn Trains Passenger Group released the following statement today summarising the disruption to trains over the next few months.

Strikes

ASLEF (train drivers) will be taking strike action on Wednesday 1^st February and Friday 3^rd February. RMT train drivers will also strike on the same days. This will mean no service for Bedwyn, Hungerford or Kintbury on those days, with a likely disrupted service on February 2^ndand 4^th. Please keep an eye on GWR’s strike page here.   

February and March Blockade

Network Rail will be carrying out track renewals in the Kennet Valley in February and March. Work will start on Saturday 18^th February and the first stage of work will run through to Thursday 2^nd March. During this period the line will be closed from Pewsey, through Bedwyn and Newbury as far as Theale.

There will be further closures on Sunday 5^thMarch, Saturday and Sunday 11^th / 12^th March, Friday 7^th April to Monday 10^th April, and on Sunday 16^th  and 23^rd April and 14^th May.

Rail replacement bus services will operate from Bedwyn, Hungerford, Newbury and Thatcham through to Theale, where local rail services will operate to Reading and London Paddington. These will be hourly bus services, calling at each station. After 20:00 on weekdays and on Sundays the bus service will operate to Reading. We are currently pressing GWR for some more direct peak bus services e.g. Bedwyn / Hungerford then direct to Theale. GWR state they are finding it difficult to source buses. However, we will keep pressing this point.

A minibus service will operate from Kintbury – as the renewal work includes the level crossing at Kintbury station, there will also be a road closure.GWR will not therefore be able to operate full bus services for Kintbury. They will have a minibus (16 seater) that will operate from the car park of the Dundas Arms to Hungerford and Newbury only. This will allow for connections to the rail replacement bus service to Theale for onward connections. GWR are not able to operate a larger bus service given the narrow route into the village. Capacity for Kintbury is therefore very limited, and tickets valid to/from Kintbury can be used from Hungerford or Newbury.

Disruption to service April 30^th to May 3^rd

Engineering work is taking place between Westbury to Taunton on April 30^th to May 3^rd. This means that through services will not be running down our line. In short this means the following Bedwyn departures will not run: 0651, 0729 and 0803 and the following Paddington to Bedwyn services will not run: 1808 and 1836.

Passengers, who rely on the additional West of England services, calling at Hungerford, will also be affected.

 Bedwyn Passenger Trains group are pressing GWR for fill-in shuttles.

Poor Service

Please report delays and cancellations to Bedwyn Trains Passenger Group at info@bedwyntrains.org.uk

The group keep pressing GWR for improvements and it appears requests for additional stops, on through services, when trains are cancelled, is starting to have some affect. The group thanks those who have fed back to them incidents where GWR have put additional stops on.