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Tuesday 5 Aug 2025

Network Rail upgrades to affect passengers between Moreton and Worcester

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

| Wales & Western

Network Rail upgrades on the North Cotswolds line will affect passengers between Moreton-in-Marsh and Worcester later this month.

Work takes places in several areas along the line from Monday 18 to Sunday 24 August to maintain a safe and reliable railway.

Near Honeybourne station, track that’s reached the end of its working life will be replaced and a new walkway will be built for train drivers. Rail will also be replaced near Evesham and improvements will be made to the drainage.

Maintenance also takes place inside Chipping Campden tunnel, the 800m long tunnel that opened in 1853.

To allow the work to be completed safely and efficiently, the railway will be temporarily closed between Moreton-in-Marsh and Worcester Shrub Hill. Buses will replace trains during this time.

Network Rail programme manager Jason Pankhurst said: “Our work will ensure the continued safe and reliable running of trains through the Cotswolds.

“We’re sorry to temporarily close the railway but it will benefit passengers long into the future.”

Billy White, GWR station manager for Oxford, Didcot and North Cotswolds area, said: “This forms part of an ongoing programme of maintenance, helping to ensure we can continue to provide consistent and reliable services.

“We’ll provide replacement road transport between Moreton-in-Marsh, Honeybourne, Evesham, Pershore, Worcestershire Parkway and Worcester Shrub Hill.

“Trains still run between Moreton-in Marsh and London Paddington, via Oxford, plus a few direct trains will run between Hereford and London Paddington, via Cheltenham Spa.

“Other train services will be operating between Worcester Shrub Hill or Worcester Foregate Street stations and Hereford during this period.

“As an alternative, Transport for Wales also operate trains between Hereford and Newport for connections to Didcot Parkway, Reading and London Paddington.

“Please note that only CrossCountry trains will be able to stop at Worcestershire Parkway while this engineering work is taking place.

“Customers should also be aware these alternative travel arrangements will make journey times much longer, so please plan ahead.”