GREAT Western Railway services will be affected by upcoming rail improvement work which will soon be starting in the Bath and North East Somerset area.

Network Rail is carrying out bridge repairs between Bath Spa and Freshford and replacing track on the line between Keynsham and Bristol Temple Meads.

From Sunday, October 27, there will be no train services between Bath Spa and Westbury. However, trains will continue to run between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads or Cardiff Central, and between Westbury and Portsmouth Harbour or Weymouth. Replacement buses will operate between Bath Spa and Bradford-on-Avon or Westbury.

From Monday, October 28, to Thursday, October 31, trains will be impacted between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads, with services between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads taking an alternative route and not stopping at Chippenham or Bath Spa.

A reduced service will run between London Paddington and Bath Spa via Chippenham, with replacement buses planned between Bath Spa and Bristol Temple Meads. Trains will continue to operate between Cardiff Central or Gloucester and Bristol Temple Meads, between Bath Spa and Portsmouth Harbour, and between Westbury and Weymouth. Customers may also use local bus services between Bath and Bristol.

Oana Apetroaie, GWR station manager for Bath Spa and Chippenham, said: “This improvement work forms part of an ongoing programme of maintenance, helping to ensure we continue to provide consistent and reliable services.

“GWR will provide replacement bus services between Bath Spa and Bradford-on-Avon or Westbury on Sunday, October 27, and trains will resume running the next day.

“From Monday, trains will run between Bath and London, and between Bristol and London, however there will be changes to the usual timetable and people will need to check their journey beforehand.

“Buses will replace trains between Bath and Bristol, but please note that they cannot stop immediately outside of Oldfield Park and Keynsham stations. The replacement bus stops will be signposted.

“As an alternative, customers can also use their ticket to travel between Bath and Oldfield Park, Keynsham or Bristol on local buses.”

Services are planned to return to normal from Friday, November 1.

Motorists travelling between Bristol and Bath are also being warned to plan ahead and allow time for their journeys during this period, with essential gas works taking place near the A4 Globe roundabout October 25 to November 3.

For the latest information, visit GWR.com/Upgrade.