Gas leak disrupts Reading to Swindon rail services
Network Rail advises passengers not to travel between the two towns due to safety exclusion zone.
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Rail services between Reading and Swindon have been significantly disrupted following a major gas leak in the Ladygrove area of Didcot, Oxfordshire. Network Rail is urging passengers to avoid travelling between these two towns due to the ongoing incident.
Engineers from Scotia Gas Networks (SGN) are currently on site addressing the leak. The railway line has been placed within a safety exclusion zone, meaning normal train operations cannot resume until the leak is fully repaired. This is causing severe disruption to long-distance Great Western Railway (GWR) services that would typically pass through Didcot.
Avanti West Coast paid £20m in refunds this summer
The operator's compensation bill is expected to exceed £70m this financial year.
Network Rail stated that while some services may operate on routes either side of the affected area, these are expected to be extremely busy. GWR managing director Mark Hopwood confirmed that the safety cordon encompasses the railway, and services will remain impacted into the following day, Wednesday, while repairs are carried out.
An SGN spokesperson confirmed that the damage to their network was caused by a third party. Engineers have been working through the night and remain on site to complete the necessary repairs as swiftly as possible. SGN is collaborating with local partners and Network Rail to minimise disruption.
Network Rail Great Western route director Marcus Jones apologised to passengers for the inconvenience. He explained that although the issue is not directly on the railway, it prevents trains from operating safely through the affected section until the leak is resolved.
All-day train disruption caused by damaged wires
Passengers face significant delays across London's rail network due to overhead line damage.
Questions this report answers
+Why are rail services between Reading and Swindon disrupted?
Rail services are disrupted due to a major gas leak in the Ladygrove area of Didcot, Oxfordshire. The railway line is within a safety exclusion zone established by engineers working to repair the leak, preventing normal operations.
+What advice has Network Rail given to passengers?
Network Rail is urging passengers not to travel between Reading and Swindon. While some services may run on adjacent routes, these are expected to be very busy. Passengers are advised to check the latest travel advice before starting their journey.
+When are normal rail services expected to resume?
Normal rail services are not expected to resume until the gas leak is repaired. GWR managing director Mark Hopwood indicated that disruption would continue into the following day, Wednesday, while engineers work to make the area safe.
WE FILE
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The London Travel Desk assembled this report from the outlets listed below. Language-model drafting is reviewed under human editorial supervision, with scoring notes and corrections kept visible.
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