No GWR trains run to or from Paddington on 28-29 Nov or 27 Dec to 3 Jan. Cheltenham passengers must change at Swindon or Bristol Parkway, National Rail says.

Great Western Railway trains will not run to or from London Paddington on two stretches of dates this winter. National Rail has published the detail of a points upgrade at Dolphin Junction, near Slough. Its page names Cheltenham Spa directly.

The dates are:

  • Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November
  • Sunday 27 December to Sunday 3 January 2027, inclusive

On both, National Rail says: “Change at Swindon or Bristol Parkway for services to and from Cheltenham Spa.” (National Rail, Dolphin Junction upgrade)

How the London trains will run

With Paddington closed to GWR, long-distance trains are split two ways:

  • Trains to and from the Bristol area and South Wales will be diverted between Swindon and London, and will run to and from London Euston. National Rail says journey times will be longer.
  • Most other long-distance trains will terminate at, and start back from, Reading.

Over Christmas and New Year, the diverted Euston trains cannot be used at Oxford, Didcot Parkway or Reading.

Getting into London from Reading

If you end up at Reading, the route on is different on each set of dates:

Dates Reading to London
28 and 29 November A special fast GWR service from Reading to Guildford, connecting with South Western Railway trains to London Waterloo
27 December to 3 January South Western Railway trains between Reading and London Waterloo

National Rail warns that trains between Reading and Waterloo are expected to be “extremely busy” on 28 and 29 November, and busy on Monday 28 December, because of rugby at Twickenham.

Flying from Heathrow

No Elizabeth line or Heathrow Express trains will run to or from Heathrow Airport on 28 and 29 November, or from 27 to 30 December. The Piccadilly line will be the only train service between central London and Heathrow on those dates. Heathrow trains resume on New Year’s Eve, Thursday 31 December.

Why the work is happening

New points operating equipment is being installed at Dolphin Junction. More than 400 trains and 100,000 passengers pass through it every day, according to National Rail. The aim is more reliable journeys through the Thames Valley.

Christmas is already tight

The New Year closure lands on top of other Christmas disruption that affects Cheltenham:

  • No trains run anywhere on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December.
  • Most lines stay shut on Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December.
  • Birmingham New Street has major engineering work from Thursday 24 to Monday 28 December. Journeys to, from or through it will be “significantly disrupted”.

Put together, the Birmingham route is disrupted from 24 to 28 December and the London route from 27 December to 3 January. (National Rail, Christmas and New Year 2026/27)

It is the second Christmas running without direct Paddington trains. Last year the same junction closed two of four tracks near Slough from 27 December 2025 to 4 January 2026, and no direct trains ran between Paddington and Cheltenham Spa. (Network Rail, 22 December 2025)

What it means for you

  • Travelling to London on 28 or 29 November, or between 27 December and 3 January? Plan on a change at Swindon or Bristol Parkway, and a longer journey into Euston.
  • Booked an advance ticket for those dates? Check it in the National Rail journey planner. National Rail says timetables for the period are still being finalised, and it has not yet listed GWR’s own Christmas service details.
  • Catching a flight from Heathrow? Allow for the Piccadilly line on the dates above.

Our Cheltenham to London trains page has the normal timetable and fares. Our Christmas trains and buses page tracks every festive change as it is published.

Sources