Football fans are being warned to check their travels early due to expected train service delays. Due to a shortage of train crew, The Great Western Railway is urging customers to check their journey on Sunday morning before travelling.
The delays are due to a combination of scheduled engineering work in Oxfordshire and the Severn Tunnel, sickness from staff and England’s success in reaching the final of the Euros. This means more train crew are needed more than usual.
The lack of staff could result in a train every two hours, including trains to and from Swindon, Cheltenham and Gloucester. On the affected routes, trains that are able to run are expected to be extremely busy, and customers may find it more convenient to travel the day before or after.
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To minimise disruption, GWR will put contingency plans into action, which could particularly affect frequencies on branch line services and cause last-minute cancellations and changes on long-distance services between:
- London Paddington and Bristol.
- London Paddington, Swindon and Cheltenham/Gloucester.
- Bristol Temple Meads and Exeter/Plymouth.
To solve this, GWR is offering passengers the opportunity to use their existing tickets on either the previous or next available service in case of a cancellation.
As a gesture of goodwill, tickets for Sunday 14 July will be valid on Saturday 13 or Monday 15 July. Standard refund policies will apply for those who opt not to travel.
Key changes to journey planners and other industry systems are set to be updated on Friday morning. However, travellers should brace for potential short-notice alterations throughout Saturday.
GWR anticipates a return to full service by Monday 17 June. For the latest updates, customers can visit www.gwr.com/check.