Skip to main content

Christmas and winter rail engineering work

Work on a new HS2 station will affect train services into London Paddington this winter.

The construction of Old Oak Common Station will involve engineering work on the existing railway, starting this November.

HS2 is Britain’s new high speed, net zero carbon railway, with work well advanced on the new line from London to the West Midlands.

For more information, visit the HS2 website.

The impact of these works mean that on Sunday 26 November, 24 and 27 December there will be no train services into or out of London Paddington station.

Map showing disruption to train services on 26 November, 24 and 27 December. Full detail is available on this page in text format.

Download a PDF version of the disruption affecting London Paddington on 26 November, 24 and 27 December (PDF, 413 KB).

Our advice

Please follow these tips to ensure your journey is as smooth as possible:

  • Travel on alternative days if possible for a smoother journey
  • If you do need to travel on 26 November or 24/27 December, allow plenty of time as journeys will take much longer than normal
  • If you’re travelling to and from central London you should travel via Ealing Broadway, using London Underground services and a shuttle train service to and from Reading
  • If you’re travelling between London and Oxford, tickets will be accepted on Chiltern Railways services to and from London Marylebone

How services will be affected

The Night Riviera Sleeper

On Sunday 26 November, the Penzance-bound Night Riviera sleeper will start from Reading instead of London Paddington.

The London-bound sleeper will run as normal.

The last sleeper services to operate before Christmas will be on Friday 22 December. The first services after Christmas will be on Sunday 31 December.

For the latest information visit our Night Riviera Sleeper webpage.

Help with your journey

If you're not able to travel on our replacement services, an accessible taxi can be arranged for you. You can do this by:

  • Booking assistance at GWR.com/PassengerAssist
  • Speaking to a member of staff at the station on the day of travel*
  • Using the Help Point available at all of our stations on the day of travel*

*please allow additional time as an accessible taxi many not be available immediately. Booking in advance is the best way to ensure a smooth journey.

Still have questions?

If there something you would like to ask us, get in touch with our team on social media, on Facebook or X (formerly known as Twitter).