Passengers advised against travel between Swindon and Reading due to major gas leak
GWR and CrossCountry services are affected
Last updated 23rd Sep 2026
A severe disruption is expected on rail services between Reading and Swindon on Wednesday, 23rd September, due to a gas leak near Didcot affecting railway land.
Engineers from gas distribution company SGN are on-site working to resolve the issue, while Network Rail and train operators collaborate to manage the impact on passengers.
The safety exclusion zone restricts normal train operations until the leak is repaired, causing severe disruption particularly to long-distance services usually traveling through Didcot.
Passengers are being advised not to travel between Reading and Swindon. Services on routes like Reading to London Paddington and Swindon to Bath/Bristol will continue, but are expected to be extremely busy.
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood apologised to customers, stating, “The safety cordon includes the railway, and train services will continue to be affected into tomorrow while gas engineers work to make the area safe and repair the leak.”
GWR assures passengers that efforts are ongoing to keep as many people moving as possible by diverting trains, accepting tickets on other operators' services, and arranging replacement transport where feasible.
CrossCountry operators also advise against travel between Reading and Oxford, with passengers able to use tickets on alternative services without amending.
Marcus Jones, Route Director for Network Rail’s Great Western route, said, "We're very sorry to passengers whose journeys will be disrupted because of this gas leak. We're advising passengers not to travel between Reading and Swindon on Wednesday."
Passengers with tickets for travel through Didcot on 23rd September can use their tickets on Thursday, 24th September or apply for a refund.
For further travel advice and updates, passengers are urged to check their journey before setting out at GWR's journey checker and to allow extra time for any essential journeys.