PLANNED railway work could cause disruption for passengers travelling over the Christmas and New Year period.

An earlier than usual finish on Christmas Eve and reduced services up to January 4 will affect those using trains to and from Oxford.

Among the significant seasonal developments is Network Rail’s work to complete a £45m viaduct at Reading.

The viaduct will mean high-speed trains travelling between London Paddington and Oxford will be carried over freight trains, speeding up services.

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Chris Bates, chairman of the Cherwell Rail Users Group, welcomed the timing of the planned work.

He said: “The improvements at Reading are almost complete. Work this Christmas is necessary; it has to be done at some point.”

Mr Bates said that most people would have travelled home by the time the work begins on Christmas Eve.

Services through Oxford will start winding down from 5pm on Wednesday for high-speed and long-distance trains. For trains in just the Thames Valley area, reduced services start at 3pm.

First Great Western said work over the festive period would reduce delays in the long term.

Managing director Mark Hopwood said: “We have been talking to our passengers about these projects for some time and we are grateful to them for their understanding while we work to keep disruption to a minimum.

“The upgrades are vitally important to improve our customers’ travel experiences both now and for the future, paving the way for faster and more reliable services.

“A significant step towards that will see the Reading Flyover opened in the New Year, which will remove a bottleneck at one of the busiest locations on our network and reduce delays.”

Network Rail managing director for the western route said: “This is an exciting time for the Great Western route and we ask that you bear with us over the Christmas period as we undertake this extensive improvement work to create a better railway for passengers and those living near to the railway line.”

The new Reading viaduct is due to be in use from Sunday, January 4.

ALL THE DETAILS

  • THE last train from Oxford to London Paddington on Christmas Eve will leave the station at 8.31pm, with the last Oxford-bound train leaving Paddington at 9.11pm.
  • On Saturday, December 27, before 11am a train shuttle service will operate between Slough and Oxford. Intercity services towards London will terminate at Reading. Passengers heading for the capital are advised to then use South West Trains services between Reading and Waterloo before 10.45am.
  • Between 11am on Saturday, December 27, and Saturday, January 3, there will two services an hour from London to Oxford, though there will be extra services early on New Year’s Day for revellers.
  • On Sunday, January 4, only  there will be a replacement bus service between Oxford and Didcot Parkway.

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