The rail minister has offered to make a last-ditch attempt to reduce the years of disruption that passengers face getting in and out of Paddington station.
Lord Hendy has questioned whether work to link the mainline tracks to the new HS2 station at Old Oak Common “needs to be so disruptive, and so disruptive now” – especially as HS2 is not due to start running until around 2030.
Disruption starts this weekend, with only two of the four lines in and out of Paddington able to be used.
There will be no Elizabeth line trains between Paddington and Heathrow airport on Saturday or Sunday, nor any Heathrow Express services, and only a reduced service between Paddington and Maidenhead.
Great Western Railway trains will still run between Paddington and Reading, but services will be reduced.
On Sunday, there will be no “Lizzie line” trains between Ealing Broadway and Abbey Wood, nor between Whitechapel and Stratford, and a reduced service between Ealing Broadway and Reading.
There will be no GWR train services between Paddington and Ealing Broadway/Reading.
Passengers travelling to and from Heathrow will have to rely on the Piccadilly line.
Lord Hendy, the former Transport for London commissioner and Network Rail chairman, was asked in the House of Lords on Wednesday what would happen to services from the South West of England and Wales over the coming years “with the effective semi-closure of Paddington station”.
He said he had met many MPs concerned about the impact on their constituents, and added: “The work at Old Oak Common for the HS2 station and the construction of an interchange station on the Great Western main line, which also serves the Elizabeth line, is a big undertaking.
“I agreed then, and say again now, that one of the questions is whether it needs to be so disruptive, and so disruptive now.
“To answer that I am going to meet all the parties involved in the next few days.
“It is a big job at Old Oak Common, but I understand the views of those who use the Great Western main line.
“I will attempt to answer those questions and see what can be done to alleviate the delay during building and its effects after construction.”
Some long-distance GWR trains will be diverted in and out of Euston station on Sunday – those to/from Swansea/Carmarthen and Plymouth/Penzance.
However they will not stop at Reading to pick-up or drop-off, and a seat reservation will be required.
On Sunday, GWR services will still run between Reading and Bristol Temple Meads, Reading and Exeter St Davids/Paignton/Plymouth, Reading and Oxford/Worcester/Great Malvern/Hereford, Reading and Swindon/Bristol Parkway/Cardiff Central and Reading and Newbury/Bedwyn.
The following Sunday, November 24, there will be no GWR trains to or from Paddington until 11.15am, with replacement buses between Ealing Broadway and Slough. After 11.15am there will be a reduced service between Reading and Paddington.
On Sunday December 1, there will be no direct GWR services to or from Paddington until 10:30am, then a reduced service between Reading and Paddington.
Paddington will also be closed for three days after Christmas, when GWR long-distance trains will again use Euston – but the majority will go no further than Reading or Ealing Broadway.
Network Rail said: “Preparatory work for new signalling and track equipment – necessary to deliver trains to HS2’s new Old Oak Common station near Paddington – means that no services will call at London Paddington between Friday 27 and Sunday 29 December inclusive.
“Some services will instead be diverted to/from London Euston, with the majority of trains starting/stopping at Reading and Ealing Broadway.
“Passengers for London can change at Ealing Broadway and take a Transport for London service into the city, using either the District or Central lines.”
Separately, there will be major disruption at Victoria station this weekend (November 16 and 17) with no Southern or Gatwick Express services to or from the station.
This is due to Network rail engineering work.
Southeastern Railway services are not affected by these works.
A Network Rail spokeswoman said: “Construction of the new station at Old Oak Common will impact services until 2029/30.
“Most of the work will take place at weekends or overnight. However, where this isn’t possible, Network Rail, HS2 Ltd and train operating companies are working together to comprehensively plan the work to reduce the impact as much as possible.”
