Millions of rail passengers travelling between London, the Thames Valley, the South West and Wales are set to benefit from a major infrastructure upgrade at Dolphin Junction in Slough, as Network Rail prepares to replace life-expired assets and modernise one of the busiest sections of the Great Western Main Line.
The project will see engineers replace ageing points, improve the track layout, upgrade overhead line equipment and install new sections of railway track. A deep clean of London Paddington station will also be carried out as part of the programme.
To facilitate the work, rail services to and from London Paddington will be suspended over the weekend of 28 and 29 November. The main phase of engineering activity will then take place between Christmas and New Year, forming part of a wider programme of railway upgrades across the Thames Valley.
Alternative travel arrangements will be available throughout the closures. Great Western Railway (GWR) services will either start and terminate at Reading or operate via a diversionary route into London Euston. Customers will also be able to travel via Waterloo and Marylebone, while Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express passengers are being advised to check journey plans before travelling.
Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express services are expected to begin returning from New Year's Eve, with GWR trains resuming direct access to London Paddington from Monday 4 January.
Critical Junction Serving More Than 100,000 Passengers Daily
Dolphin Junction is one of the most strategically important locations on the Great Western Main Line. Around 400 passenger services carrying more than 100,000 passengers pass through the junction every day, making it a vital part of the railway connecting London with the Thames Valley, South West England and Wales.
Ross Mahoney, project director for Network Rail's Great Western route, said:
"Dolphin Junction is one of the busiest and most important parts of the Great Western Main Line, carrying thousands of passengers every day between London, the Thames Valley, the South West and Wales.
"This investment will replace ageing equipment with modern technology and improve the track layout, helping trains move through the junction more smoothly and efficiently. This will mean less congestion and more reliable journeys for passengers across the route.
"We've worked closely with train operators to keep people moving throughout these closures, but there will be changes to services while the work is carried out. Passengers travelling over the weekend of 28 and 29 November and during the Christmas and New Year period should plan ahead and check before they travel."
"We know this work will cause disruption in the short term, and we'd like to thank passengers and freight customers for their patience. Once complete, these upgrades will help create a more dependable railway, supporting better performance and smoother journeys for years to come."
The project forms part of the Thames Valley Performance Improvement Programme, which has already delivered reliability and performance improvements across the Great Western route. Network Rail says the Dolphin Junction scheme represents the next phase of investment aimed at enhancing operational resilience and reducing delays.
The preparatory closure in November has been scheduled to allow engineers to complete enabling works ahead of the larger Christmas and New Year programme, helping to reduce overall disruption and improve delivery efficiency.
Richard Rowland, GWR Operations Director, said:
"Our priority over Christmas is making sure customers can still get where they need to go."
"Although trains won’t run into London Paddington for a short period, we’ve worked closely with Network Rail and our industry partners to put alternative routes in place, including GWR services from London Euston, and connections via Waterloo and Marylebone.
"This does however mean some journeys may take longer than usual; so we ask anyone travelling to or from London during this period to plan ahead and check before they travel. Our teams will be on hand to help customers along the way. Once complete, the upgrade will enable trains to move through the junction more smoothly, helping to reduce congestion and improve performance across the route."
Passengers planning to travel during the Christmas and New Year period are encouraged to check journey planners, which have now been updated with travel information through to 4 January.
Image credit: iStock
