The South West
This area includes the Great Western Main Line and its branches, covering the route from London Paddington to Penzance, through Bristol and onto Pilning, up to the boundaries with Wales, Worcester and Basingstoke. It operates and maintains over 900 miles of track, enabling the running of over 2,000 services a day. Train operators include Great Western Railway, South West Railway, CrossCountry, Chiltern Railways and Heathrow Express.
Latest news for this route
From the platform to the pyramid stage: passengers advised of busy stations as Glastonbury Festival officially begins
- Glastonbury Festival officially opens its gates today (Wednesday 25 June), drawing crowds from across the country and beyond as big-name stars take to the stage for five days of unforgettable performances and summer revelry
- Passengers are advised that stations on the festival route to Castle Cary are likely to be busier than normal, with extra rail staff on hand to keep everyone safe
- A queuing system will be in place at London Paddington for services to the festival – GWR requires all passengers travelling to Castle Cary to have a reservation
Trains running as normal after work completed between Bristol and South Wales
Train services have resumed between Bristol and South Wales today (Saturday 21 June) after two weeks of planned essential maintenance on the line.
Passengers urged to plan ahead as flood mitigation work takes place in Gloucestershire next month
Passengers planning to travel between Swindon and Bristol Parkway are being urged to plan ahead as Network Rail begins the latest stage of work to mitigate the impacts of flooding on the railway through Gloucestershire in July.
Oxford businesses to receive goodwill payments for Botley Road disruption
Some small businesses in Oxford most affected by works at Botley Road may be eligible to receive goodwill payments, following the government today (13 June 2025) confirming up to £850,000 of Network Rail funding to acknowledge the local disruption.
Railway 200: Bookings open for unique exhibition train visiting London Paddington and the south west this winter
Bookings have opened for visits to a unique exhibition train, part of a national celebration of the 200th anniversary of the modern railway called Railway 200.
Community invited to find out more about vital bridge repairs in Langport, Somerset
Network Rail is inviting the community to find out more about vital work planned for the railway bridge that crosses the A378 in Langport, Somerset, this summer.
One week to go: maintenance work to affect journeys between Bristol and South Wales during June
Passengers are reminded to plan ahead during June, with one week to go until train services through South Gloucestershire and the Severn Tunnel are affected while vital maintenance takes place over a two-week period.
All aboard! Reading Family Fun Day returns to the station for a second year
Network Rail is encouraging people to come along to Reading station on Thursday (29 May) to take part in the second annual family fun day, where visitors can play a variety of games, exchange goodies at a swap shop, create artwork, and learn more about Reading’s railway history.
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