Bristol Parkway railway station will not be operating any trains this week due to engineering work. It comes after days of interruption for train passengers due to rail workers' strikes.
In order to avoid Bristol Parkway, long-distance services will take a different route, and buses are expected to take the place of trains at impacted stations. Network Rail will be repairing sections of track on the main route between London and South Wales in the Bristol Parkway area throughout the Christmas period.
Additionally, track repair will be performed on the rail lines connecting Gloucester to Bristol Parkway. From Tuesday, December 27 to Sunday, December 31, no trains will be able to stop at Bristol Parkway, Yate, or Cam & Dursley stations.
READ NEXT: Police issue update after death of boy, 4, at Center Parcs resort
Shuttle buses are planned between Patchway and Bristol Parkway. Trains will run between Gloucester and Worcester or Great Malvern. Trains will also run between Bristol Temple Meads and Westbury or Weymouth. Replacement buses are planned to run between Gloucester, Cam & Dursley, Yate, Bristol Parkway, Filton Abbey Wood and Bristol Temple Meads.
CrossCountry services will run but will be diverted between Cheltenham Spa and Bristol Temple Meads – extending journey times by around 35 minutes. These trains will stop additionally at Gloucester. Buses will replace trains between Gloucester and Bristol Parkway. Buses also replace trains between Bristol Temple Meads and Bristol Parkway.
On Sunday, January 1, the railway is expected to fully reopen. However, there might be little changes to the schedules, so carefully check before leaving.
However rail strikes are expected to continue further into the New Year with action planned for January 3, January 4, January 5, January 6 and January 7, 2023.
The rail workers are taking industrial action, as demands grow for better working conditions and pay increases to keep up with rising prices.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has accused RMT boss Mick Lynch of being 'the Grinch who stole Christmas' as the strikes in the build up to the festive season caused disruption across the country.
READ NEXT:
