RAIL passengers have been warned there will be no direct services between Evesham and Pershore and London Paddington for at least a fortnight.
The stark message was issued by Great Western Railway (GWR) chiefs following the closure of the line between Didcot Parkway and Oxford.
Trains continue to operate largely as planned between Herefordshire and Worcestershire and Oxford where they will terminate. However, they may be retimed and customers should check before travelling for any re-routing.
Those travelling between London Paddington and Oxford/North Cotswolds will need to change at Didcot Parkway for replacement bus services, adding about 40 minutes to journey times.
Network Rail has closed the railway between Didcot Parkway and Oxford. It will not open again before Easter as its engineers continue their assessment of Nuneham Viaduct.
Nuneham Viaduct, which carries the Cherwell Valley Line across the River Thames, is located between Culham and Radley, near to the town of Abingdon in Oxfordshire.
Network Rail has been monitoring the viaduct for some time because of its movement and has been undertaking engineering interventions to stabilise it.
Unfortunately, the movement in the structure has significantly worsened in recent weeks and has now reached a point where it is not safe to carry passenger and freight trains. That is why Network Rail has taken the significant step of temporarily closing it.
The railway will be closed for ‘at least two to three weeks’ and further detail will be provided once engineers have done the necessary investigation work over next few days.
GWR managing director Mark Hopwood said: “This is a significant route for us and our customers and we are exploring all avenues to be able to bolster services between Oxford and London.
“To help keep customers on the move we’ve mobilised colleagues to assist at key locations.
“We’re also looking at what we can do in the longer term, including the possibility of running GWR trains on alternative routes between Oxford and London to support other train operators’ services.”
Tickets are also being accepted on Avanti West Coast, Chiltern Railways, London Underground, and West Midlands Railway via any reasonable route.
Stagecoach S6 bus services between Swindon and Oxford and Thames Travel X2 and X32 bus services between Didcot and Oxford are also accepting tickets.
Customers who have purchased tickets and choose not to travel will be able to claim a full refund or amend their ticke.
Those who travel and are delayed may be entitled to Delay Repay if they are delayed by 15 minutes or more.
Visit www.gwr.com for more.
