Passengers facing disruption to train journeys in and out of Paddington have been promised that “some relief” is due to be announced.
Concerns have been raised in Parliament that Paddington station faces partial closure on many weekends over the coming years to enable track works to take place at the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common.
This is having an impact on Great Western Railway, Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services.
Sir Keir Starmer was asked at Prime Minister’s Questions last week whether he could intervene.
David Reed, the Tory MP for Exmouth and Exeter East, told him that his constituents, and passengers across the South West, faced disruption “for at least the next seven years”.
Last month Lord Hendy, the rail minister, promised to look into the matter after being asked about it in the House of Lords.
Speaking during a visit to Old Oak Common station on Monday, Lord Hendy told The Standard: “I was down here [at Old Oak Common] 10 days ago, talking to not only HS2 but Network Rail, Great Western, Heathrow Express and TfL for the Elizabeth line.
“I’m going to write to them, probably this week, because I now know more about what the real schedule is and what’s going to happen here.
“It’s still evolving but there is some relief to be had for people on the Great Western main line. I’m going to write to the MPs first to tell them where we are going to go.”
Last month Lord Hendy questioned whether work to link the mainline tracks to the new station “needs to be so disruptive, and so disruptive now” – especially as HS2 is not due to start running until between 2029 and 2033.
Old Oak Common will be the biggest newly-built station in the UK, with 14 platforms – eight at surface level for Great Western Railway, Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express trains, and six subterranean platforms for HS2 trains, which will eventually reach Euston.
Sir Keir told Prime Minister’s questions: “We have committed £30 million to mitigate the impact of the construction at Old Oak Common.
“Local services will be unaffected and current plans will see services run between Exeter and London Euston.”
Great Western Railway has warned passengers that the times of many high-speed services to / from Paddington will be amended this Sunday (December 8), in some cases departing earlier than normal from Paddington.
GWR said that most fast services between Paddington and Oxford will not run, but will be partly replaced by additional trains between Didcot Parkway, Radley and Oxford.
On the follow Sunday (December 15), some fast trains between Paddington and Oxford will start from / or end their journey at Reading instead of Paddington.
Most local trains between Paddington and Didcot Parkway will not run between Paddington and Reading.
Paddington will also be closed for three days after Christmas - between Friday 27 and Sunday 29 December inclusive - when GWR long-distance trains will use Euston. However, the majority will go no further than Reading or Ealing Broadway.
Network Rail said: “Some services will instead be diverted to/from London Euston, with the majority of trains starting/stopping at Reading and Ealing Broadway.
“Passengers for London can change at Ealing Broadway and take a Transport for London service into the city, using either the District or Central lines.”
A Network Rail spokeswoman said: “Construction of the new station at Old Oak Common will impact services until 2029/30.
“Most of the work will take place at weekends or overnight. However, where this isn’t possible, Network Rail, HS2 Ltd and train operating companies are working together to comprehensively plan the work to reduce the impact as much as possible.”
