PASSENGERS are being advised to plan journeys in advance as Great Western Railway services will be affected by rail improvement works throughout May around Gloucestershire.

Network Rail will carry out track upgrades between Gloucester and Stroud or Yate, affecting trains from Saturday, May 3 to Monday May 5, and the weekend of May 10-11.

Trains will run between London Paddington/Swindon and Stroud on Saturday May 3 and the Bank Holiday Monday. CrossCountry and Transport for Wales services between Cheltenham Spa/Gloucester and South Wales via Lydney are unaffected.

No direct train services will operate between Bristol Parkway and South Wales on Saturday May 10. Customers need to travel via Lydney, or to Bristol Temple Meads for connecting services. Reservations will be required on services from Bristol Temple Meads.

Chloe Coglan, Interim Station Manager for Cheltenham Spa and Gloucester, said: “This work forms part of an ongoing programme of investment in the railway, helping to ensure we continue to provide consistent and reliable services.

“It’s really important customers are aware of the changes and plan their journey accordingly – as they are likely to take a little longer than usual.”

Mark Parker, Network Rail lead portfolio manager, said: “We’re sorry to close the railway for a short time but we’ll be taking full advantage to get our teams on the track.

“We’ll be working at many different sites and completing as much work as possible to keep the railway in good shape for years to come.”

CrossCountry regional director Bethan Jelfs said: “We’re asking all passengers to check their journeys carefully as some may take a little longer and are grateful for their understanding while Network Rail completes these important works.”

For the latest information on planned engineering work, visit the Great Western Rail website and check its social media platforms.