Rail passengers face more disruption

Major track works will be carried out from 16 to 25 August

Rail passengers in the South West are being warned to prepare for more disruption on routes to and from London.

Major work is being carried out on the tracks later this month and will affect the August Bank Holiday.

The engineering work by Network Rail affects all the services to the South West operated by First Great Western.

It comes hard on the heels of recent delays caused by the hot weather.

Continuous period

The actual work is taking place in Slough, but it means changes to times and services for visitors to Devon and Cornwall and people travelling to London.

The work will begin on 16 August and continue until 25 August - the Bank Holiday Monday.

Rail officials claim it is a time that should affect the least amount of passengers and will get the work completed in one continuous period.

People who are travelling during this time are being advised to pick up amended timetables at stations in the region which are served by First Great Western.

We support Network Rail in working to ensure complete safety on rail journeys First Great Western

Meanwhile, First Great Western has apologised for speed restrictions on its services in the region due to the current high temperatures.

Over a large part of the South West, a speed restriction of 90 mph has been imposed in place of the normal line speed of 125 mph.

Further problems were caused by 20 mph restrictions in a few locations, including junctions and points and where track has been renewed recently.

The restrictions, imposed by Network Rail to ensure safety in the extreme conditions, meant that up to 25 minutes were being added to journey times on services.

A spokesman said: "We are sorry that the heat has caused these problems, but we hope our customers will appreciate that we support Network Rail in working to ensure complete safety on rail journeys.

"We are doing all we can to minimise the effects of these restriction and keeping our customers fully informed of changes in services and timings."