THE biggest ever rail reconstruction in the region is expected to cause major travel disruption in Westbury.
Currently, the largest reconstruction of the Great Western mainline from London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads since the war is taking place with work set to hit Wiltshire in the summer.
It is expected that work will begin the Wiltshire area in July and August which will cause major disruptions to services operating through Westbury.
Cllr Horace Prickett the Passenger Transport Portfolio Holder for Wiltshire Council said, “Full details are still being worked out but many services will be replaced by buses which will inevitably mean longer journey times and probably poor connectivity with onward services.
“The section of the mainline most affected will be from Chippenham to Bath, which will be closed in two stages. Stage 1 is presently planned for the 18th July to the 1st August and will mean severe disruption of the line from Chippenham to Bath whilst electric cables are strung through Box tunnel.
“During this time therefore, travelling to London via Bath, the most common route used at the moment, will be via Bath, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway and the South Wales mainline via Swindon to reach London. This will add considerably to the journey time.
“During Stage 1, the current Bristol to Waterloo service, three trains per day, should run as timetabled but with some possible delays. Westbury to London Paddington should not be affected to any great extent either.
“The TransWilts Line via Melksham/Chippenham to Swindon will continue to run but some timetable disruption is most likely. The Hearts of Wessex line connecting Bristol via Trowbridge and Westbury to Weymouth will also continue during this period but with some inevitable disruption.
“During Stage 2, the Avon Valley line, connecting Trowbridge to Bath, will be closed entirely. Replacement buses will operate for the entire month of August to stations from Bradford on Avon along that line.
“Trowbridge trains running to Bristol, South Wales and beyond are expected to run via Swindon, the Badminton line and Bristol Parkway, adding considerably to journey times. The Bristol to Waterloo service will not run during August but may start from Westbury. This has yet to be determined.
“All of this is yet to be worked out in detail, but please be warned of considerable disruption from Saturday 18th July to Monday 31st August, especially if you are expecting to book rail journeys connecting with holiday flights. I would not want you to miss your suntan!
“As details become clearer, look out for the actual running times and don’t be caught out! More information will be provided as it becomes available.”
