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Wednesday 8 Oct 2025

Trains running again through Gloucestershire after completion of major signalling upgrade

Region & Route:

Wales & Western: Western

Train services resumed through Gloucestershire this morning after Network Rail completed a major upgrade of Gloucester signal box.

More than 10,000 wires – 12 miles worth – have been replaced in the signal box, which controls trains travelling from Bristol, Worcester, Swindon and south Wales. Built in the 1960s, it contained some of the oldest equipment on the network.

Work began on Saturday 27 September, with Gloucester station and some surrounding routes temporarily closed. The work will allow trains to continue to travel safely and smoothly through the county long into the future.

While the railway was closed, a switch, which allows trains to change tracks, was replaced near Gloucester station. This key piece of equipment connects the tracks for trains to and from London Paddington and will provide more reliable journeys.

Network Rail Western route director Marcus Jones said:

“Signalling is the most complex piece of work we do on the railway and unfortunately it’s taken longer than planned to complete.

“We’re sorry for the disruption but it was essential to ensure the system was thoroughly tested so we could get trains safely back up and running again. 

"This upgrade has seen some of the oldest electrical equipment on the railway replaced, and will make our signalling system more resilient and reliable for many years to come." 

GWR station manager for South Cotswolds Chloe Coglan:

“We are really sorry for the inconvenience that this will have caused some customers and are grateful for their patience in bearing with us during this time.

"Completing this work is vital to improving the resilience of the railway, both now and for the future."

CrossCountry’s regional director Georgia Ehrmann said:

“We want to thank passengers for their patience while Network Rail completed this important work. These upgrades at Gloucester will help us deliver more trains on time for many years to come.”

Transport for Wales head of performance Adam Terry said:

“We’re pleased to see services running again through Gloucestershire following Network Rail’s successful upgrade of the signal box. This vital investment will ensure we continue to offer safe and reliable journeys for our travelling customers.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience during the works and look forward to delivering smoother journeys across the network for years to come.”

ENDS