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Next Easter, the Reading station area will be completely closed as major track and signalling modifications are made as part of the refurbishment of the area.

This means that FGW services will be diverted in much the same way as they were previously, viz:

- Bristol/South Wales HST's will be diverted again via Foxhall Curve Jn to Didcot North Jn (Didcot West Curve) to Banbury, and then reverse for a run to Paddington via High Wycombe and Greenford (more likely direct than via West Ealing)

- West of England HSTs will take normal route to/from the west until Westbury, and like the last diversion they will run via Salisbury to Waterloo. This time they will run via Wimbledon as Swing Link coupling issues are now resolved.

- Two Hourly Didcot - Swindon - Gloucester - Cheltenham shuttles will be in operation, using the two 3-car ex-prototype Class 150s based at Reading. First time for a Class 150 on the GWML east of Swindon in service?

- Worcester/Hereford/Oxford services are set back to start at Didcot.

- a Two Hourly shuttle will be in operation between Theale and Westbury, using Class 165/166s.

The details above have been copied and pasted from a reputable source. Hence all the rubbish about swing-link couplings and 150s east of Swindon.

So Sam had better make sure she waves at us as we go by!

Interesting...

Presumably via Wimbledon is quicker than via Staines but this then means that they have to cross over at Queenstown Road to put them on the Windsor lines into Waterloo as FGW only use platform 19.

Not sure if true but I understood that FGW may also be using platform 20 (i.e. Eurostar shed). Interesting point from Network Rail...

WEEK 01 FROM TUE 01/04 TO FRI 05/04 & WEEK 02
FROM SAT 2300 06/04 TO MON 0400 08/04:

AMENDED TRAIN SERVICE OPERATES THROUGH
READING USING AVAILABLE LINES AND PLATFORMS.

AN AMENDED TRAIN SERVICE OPERATES BETWEEN
WESTBURY, BEDWYN, NEWBURY AND
BASINGSTOKE WITH PILOT WORKING IN / OUT OF
PLF 2 AT READING. HSS SERVICES BETWEEN
PADDINGTON AND THE WEST OF ENGLAND
DIVERTED VIA ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.

My understanding of this is that FGW will run a limited WOE service into Waterloo for the whole 10 days. Are HSTs cleared from Yeovil Junction to Salisbury? There was talk a while ago of FGW running the SWT service during the Reading blockade so that they could extend it to Plymouth/Penzance. I'm struggling to find where I read this.

Having been through the Kent, Sussex and Wessex Sectional Appendix, I can find nothing which prohibits the running of HSTs anywhere on that region.

The only reference to HSTs is as follows:

Class 253 & 254 trains

Isolation of traction current

The traction current must be switched off in accordance with the D.C. Electrified Lines Instructions before work is commenced as follows:-

1. When the emergency drawbar equipment is removed from the power car and used for coupling to an assisting locomotive.
2. When it is necessary to manually release a power car parking brake.
3. When it is necessary to isolate underslung equipment on the conductor rail side of the train.

So that would imply that the train would have to be allowed to run in order for such things to happen. I have, however, managed to find the Gauge Capability tables for the Wessex region, and from the link below you can see that HST coaches are allowed between Worting Junction and Pinhoe, and this route covers Yeovil Junction to Salisbury.

http://ebookbrowse.com/table-d3-gauge-c ... d203687711

Online Sectional Appendices: http://www.networkrail.co.uk/aspx/10563.aspx

Tubeguru, what about local trains between Paddington and Slough?

Erm, what about them?

If the work is at Reading I imagine trains to Slough could continue running as normal.