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Wednesday 26 Aug 2026

Station staff prepare for increase in passengers ahead of Reading Festival and Notting Hill Carnival

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Great Western

| Wales & Western

Thousands of people are expected to pass through Reading and London Paddington stations this week on their way to Reading Festival, which takes place from Thursday 27 to Sunday 30 August, and Notting Hill Carnival, held in west London over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Those attending Reading Festival and arriving in the city by train can either walk approximately 20 minutes from the station to the festival site or catch a dedicated shuttle bus from the Northern exit of the station, with additional station staff on hand to direct passengers to get to where they need to be.

Paddington station is also expected to be busy as people travel to and from Notting Hill Carnival, with events taking place on Sunday 30 August and the Bank Holiday Monday. The station is a short distance from Europe’s largest street carnival, and there will be signposted walking routes to guide people from Paddington to the action.

Monday is expected to be particularly busy as people head home after Reading Festival and a queuing system will be in place at Reading station to allow passengers to board their trains safely. GWR is advising festival attendees to purchase a return ticket in advance and to build extra time into their plans to account for navigating the queues. Details of key service departures on Monday morning and throughout the festival can be found at here.

Bernadette Sachse, Network Rail’s station manager for Reading station, said: “We’re expecting to see thousands of extra passengers passing through Reading station this bank holiday weekend on their way to the music festival. With Notting Hill Carnival also taking place, passengers should plan for both Reading and London Paddington to be busier than usual.

“It’s important that people get to where they need to be safely, and to support the high volumes of passengers we will have extra customer support services in action throughout the Bank Holiday weekend to make sure our stations are a welcoming environment for all who visit. Passengers are also advised to check their journeys with National Rail Enquiries to ensure they’re able to get to their destinations as smoothly as possible.

“We hope everyone has a fantastic weekend at both events and remind passengers to stay safe when travelling. If you have luggage with you, please use the lifts and make sure to stand back from the platform edge.”

Passengers who are planning to travel over the weekend are being urged to stay safe around the tracks, platforms and concourse – both on the way to the events and on the way home.