An emergency incident has disrupted the main railway line between south Wales and London on Tuesday morning. Reports indicate a person was struck by a train near Swindon, with emergency services responding to the scene. Tragically, the individual was pronounced dead by authorities. The British Transport Police stated that the incident near Wantage was not suspicious, and preparations for the coroner are underway.
The disruption has caused delays and cancellations on the line, affecting services between south Wales and London. The incident involved the 7.31 am Great Western Railway service from London Paddington to Cheltenham Spa, which is currently stationary in the Uffington area. As a result, all lines are blocked, leading to significant delays and disruption at stations along the main line, including Reading, Didcot, Swindon, Chippenham, and Bath for several hours.
Passengers are advised to expect delays of up to 90 minutes or revisions to train schedules. The disruption is anticipated to persist until 1 pm on Tuesday, September 17. National Rail has informed that services impacted are between several locations, including Penzance, Plymouth, Cardiff Central, Bristol Temple Meads, and London Paddington. Due to ongoing engineering works between Newbury and Bedwyn, trains are unable to divert around the incident.
As a consequence, customers traveling west of Swindon towards London are recommended to travel to Birmingham New Street on CrossCountry services, connecting with Avanti West Coast services towards London Euston. CrossCountry services are also operational between Birmingham New Street and Reading via Oxford, given that these lines are unaffected by the incident. Despite these alternative routes, congestion in the area may result in further delays.
To stay updated on developments, passengers are encouraged to sign up for email alerts from GWR and National Rail regarding the situation. Travelers are advised to plan their journeys accordingly and consider alternative arrangements given the disruption on the main railway line between south Wales and London.