Friday Travel Near You

The latest travel news for the roads, rails and waters in the Meridian region on Friday 7 September.

Delays due to broken down train

by Mike Pearse - Transport Correspondent

Thousands of rail passengers are tonight facing major delays and cancellations after a freight train broke down near Theale in Berkshire. It's understood that engineers will not be able to move the train for another two hours.

Services on the line from Reading to Theale, Thatcham, Newbury, Hungerford, Bedwyn and Pewsey are badly hit. Some are delayed by eighty minutes.

Services to the south west are also delayed, with First Great Western drafting in buses to replace trains.

It is the latest in a series of incidents on the line. Current performance is just 82 per cent of trains on time in the Thames Valley. That is ten per cent worse than it should be. First Great Western is currently paying five per cent discounts to season ticket holders.

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