There is so much in this story on the big changes at Paddington for GWR and the Elizabeth Line from November that I will quote an article in the Evening Standard today. If in late autumn or winter until 2030 and planning to use Euston or Paddington Stations, GWR or Elizabeth Line, please read this.
quote:
"New HS2 station: Paddington trains diverted to Euston at Christmas until 2030 and Elizabeth line services disrupted
Full details of the Christmas disruption that Great Western Railway and Elizabeth line passengers face until the end of the decade can be revealed.
All rail lines in and out of Paddington will be closed on multiple occasions over the next seven or eight years to enable the mainline and HS2 station at Old Oak Common to be completed.
GWR will divert its long-distance trains from Cornwall, Devon and South Wales – and its Night Riveria sleeper train - into Euston, with other services terminating at Reading or Ealing Broadway.
The firm admits it faces a “huge” logistical challenge but was determined to take its passengers direct into central London, though journey times will be about 15 minutes longer. It expects to run a “similar level of service”.
The Elizabeth line – the UK’s busiest rail line, with more than 700,000 passengers a day – will not run between Ealing Broadway and Paddington.
GWR invited the Evening Standard on board one of its test trains to Euston ahead of the first blockade, which is scheduled for Sunday November 17.
This will be followed by a three-day closure of Paddington between December 27 and 29 – meaning no trains in and out of Paddington for a five-day period, due to the shutdown on Christmas day and Boxing day.
There will be ongoing closures over each subsequent festive period, including an 18-day closure in 2028 that will also affect the January return to work for thousands of staff.
The work at Old Oak Common will move the existing Great Western main line north through the new station, enabling HS2 passengers arriving from Birmingham to board a GWR, Lizzie line or Heathrow Express service.
It is understood that, under current plans, all three operators will have all their services stop at Old Oak Common.
In addition, Old Oak Common will become the western terminus station for a number of Elizabeth line trains that currently terminate at Paddington.
This is to ensure HS2 passengers have a high frequency of trains to take them into central London prior to the HS2 station opening at Euston – currently envisaged around 2040, assuming the Government can strike a deal with the private sector to build the promised station at Euston.
It has also emerged that discussions have begun about opening a new station at the northern end of the Old Oak Common site, to provide a better connection for London Overground passengers.
At present, Willesden Junction is a 15-minute walk from Old Oak Common – meaning the lack of an interchange with the Overground or Bakerloo line Tube services.
GWR also considered running its long-distance trains, which are typically nine or 10 carriages long, into Waterloo but found that Euston was a better option, especially in terms of platform space.
The bi-mode Hitachi trains have to switch to diesel power after Ealing Broadway, where the pantograph is lowered. However the diesel fumes risked setting off the fire alarms at Waterloo, it is understood.
At Euston, GWR will operate from platforms 14, 15, and 16 on the western side of the station.
When GWR is using Euston, it means the will be used by the UK’s two sleeper trains – the Night Riviera to Cornwall and the Caledonian Sleeper to Scotland.
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