Passengers are being reminded to check before travelling this Easter weekend as Network Rail delivers vital upgrades and track renewals to improve reliability.

Though most of the network will be open for business as usual over the Easter bank holiday weekend, some journeys will be affected, so passengers are advised to plan their journey in advance using National Rail Enquiries or their train operator's website GWR.

The key pieces of work taking place on the Western route are:

All trains to and from Frome will be affected by engineering work taking place from 10pm on Saturday, April 19, to 10pm on Monday, April 21, as Network Rail carries out vital track maintenance to enhance safety and reliability.

Trains between London and the south west, and trains between Westbury and Weymouth, will not stop at Frome and will instead use an alternative route.

A rail replacement service will operate between Frome and Westbury.

Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s Western route director, said: “I would like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out these vital upgrades over the Easter break.

“While most of our network will be up and running, there will be bus replacement services operating in some areas, so please do check before travelling.

“We know that there’s never a good time to close the railway and this engineering work has been planned for a time when fewer people are travelling by train to reduce disruption. These upgrades will mean that passengers can continue to experience a safe and reliable railway into the future.”

Network Rail will be renewing the track between Maidenhead and Bourne End/Marlow until Sunday, April 20. This work began on Saturday, April 12. During this time, no trains will run and a rail replacement bus service will be in operation.

While the line is closed to upgrade the track, engineers will also upgrade the existing signalling equipment, making the railway in the area more resilient.

From Friday, April 18, to Monday, April 21, engineers will be carrying out upgrades to the switches and crossings in the Acton East area – rail equipment that enables trains to move between tracks. These upgrades will improve the safety and reliability of the line.

Network Rail will also be continuing work that’s needed to bring trains in the future to HS2’s Old Oak Common station in west London, with a focus on installing drainage, and the overhead line equipment that power trains.

During this period, trains will be running to a reduced timetable between Reading and London Paddington – affecting GWR, Heathrow Express, and Elizabeth line services.