Local Train Services to Be Closed for Entire Weekend
Junction upgrade means Elizabeth line and Great Western trains suspended
The closures preparing for major engineering works over Christmas. Picture: Network Rail
November 11, 2026
Passengers travelling in west London face major disruption at the end of November when engineering work will bring all train services into London Paddington to a halt for two days.
There will be no Elizabeth line trains at local stations including Acton Main Line or Ealing Broadway on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November, while passengers using Great Western Railway services will also be affected by the closure of all railway lines between Paddington and Maidenhead.
The disruption will affect commuters, shoppers and people travelling into central London, with passengers advised to allow extra time and use alternative Tube and replacement bus services.
The closure is part of a £27.8 million programme of engineering work at Dolphin Junction, between Slough and Langley, where Network Rail is replacing ageing track equipment and installing a new track layout intended to reduce congestion and improve reliability.
The junction carries more than 400 trains a day and is an important part of the railway network serving London, the Thames Valley, the South West and Wales.
For Ealing and Acton passengers, the consequences will extend beyond the Elizabeth line. No Elizabeth line services will operate between Maidenhead and Abbey Wood, or between Heathrow Airport and Shenfield, effectively suspending the service across the whole of the line for the weekend.
The five Elizabeth line stations in the London Borough of Ealing – Acton Main Line, Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell and Southall – will all be without trains.
Passengers travelling from Ealing Broadway will be able to use the Central and District lines, while those travelling from Acton Main Line will need to make alternative arrangements, including using nearby Underground stations.
Replacement buses will operate between Ealing Broadway and Slough, calling at intermediate stations including Boston Manor, Hanwell, Southall, Hayes and Harlington, West Drayton and Langley. A further replacement service will connect Slough with Maidenhead.
There will also be no trains on the Greenford branch, including between West Ealing and Greenford. Passengers are advised to use local bus services or the Central line as alternatives.
Great Western Railway passengers will also be affected. No trains will run between Paddington and Maidenhead in either direction, meaning services from the Thames Valley and beyond will not reach their usual London terminus.
Some longer-distance GWR services will terminate at Reading, while others will be diverted to London Euston via an alternative route. Passengers will need to check individual train arrangements before travelling.
There will be no Heathrow Express services between Paddington and the airport either. The Piccadilly line, accessible from stations including Acton Town, South Ealing and Northfields, will provide an alternative rail connection to Heathrow.
The closure will also affect passengers travelling east from Ealing towards Stratford and the City. Elizabeth line services will not operate through the central London tunnels, although National Rail ticket holders will be able to use London Underground and local bus services on the affected sections without additional charge. Passengers using Oyster or contactless will pay the normal applicable fares.
Network Rail says the November closure will allow engineers to carry out preparatory work ahead of a much larger programme of engineering work over the Christmas and New Year period.
The main phase will take place between Christmas Day and Sunday 3 January, when the eastern side of Dolphin Junction will be replaced and a new track layout installed. Overhead electrification equipment and associated signalling will also be upgraded.
The £27.8 million investment is intended to allow trains to move through the junction more efficiently, reducing congestion and improving the reliability of services into Paddington.
Network Rail's project director Ross Mahoney said the work would replace ageing equipment with modern technology and improve the track layout, helping trains move through the junction more smoothly.
He acknowledged that the work would cause short-term disruption but said the improvements would support more dependable journeys for years to come.
Passengers are advised to check their journeys before setting out, using the National Rail or TfL journey planners.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |