RAIL travellers are facing chaos on the lines this Bank Holiday weekend.

First Great Western is encouraging customers travelling between Bristol Parkway and Swindon over the weekend to check journey times and routes prior to departure.

Network Rail is due to complete £45 million works to redouble the railway line between Swindon and Kemble, as well as additional improvement works. This means the closure of the line between Bristol Parkway and Swindon on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 August.

FGW General Manager, Central, Rob Mullen said: “These are vital infrastructure works to help pave the way for increased capacity and reduced journey times, and better performance and punctuality that electrification and new electric trains will bring for future services.

“We have worked closely with our colleagues at Network Rail to keep disruption to a minimum.”

On August 23 and 24, the lline will be closed from Swindon to Bristol Parkway, between Swindon and Didcot Parkway and between Swindon and Gloucester. The Transwilts route, from Swindon to Chippenham and Chippenham to Westbury via Melksham will be closed. The line between Hereford and Worcester Shrub Hill will also be closed for rail improvement work.

London Paddington to Bristol Temple Meads, Weston Super Mare and West of England services (via Bristol Temple Meads) will be diverted extending journey times by approximately 20 minutes, while rail replacement buses will operate between Swindon and Bath Spa via Chippenham.

London Paddington to South Wales services will operate via an alternative route extending journey times by approximately 75 minutes and rail replacement buses will operate between Swindon and Bristol Parkway, and Reading and Swindon and Didcot Parkway and Swindon.

Services between London Paddington and Gloucester/Cheltenham Spa will be diverted via Bristol Temple Meads- extending journey times by approximately 60 minutes on Saturday, and rail replacement buses will operate between Swindon, Kemble, Stroud, Stonehouse and Gloucester, extending journey times between 20 to 50 minutes

Customers travelling to/from Cheltenham Spa will be able to change to/from rail service at Gloucester station.

Rail replacement bus services will operate between Swindon and Westbury, from Swindon to Chippenham and Chippenham to Westbury via Melksham - journey times will be extended by approximately 60 minutes.

For more information visit www.journeycheck.com/firstgreatwestern.