A gas leak near Didcot East railway land was reported at around 9pm on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, prompting the closure of the rail line between Didcot Parkway and Reading. The incident caused full cancellation of all train services along this route.
The disruption affected train journeys between Didcot Parkway and Reading, with long-distance services through Didcot also impacted. All trains on this segment were suspended, forcing cancellations on multiple regional and cross-country routes connecting Oxfordshire and surrounding areas.
A safety exclusion zone was established that included the railway, preventing trains from operating until repairs are completed. Engineers from SGN,
the gas distribution firm, remain on site working to fix the leak caused by third-party damage to the gas network.
To mitigate disruption, CrossCountry arranged two coaches per hour running between Oxford and Reading at 20 minutes past each hour in both directions. Great Western Railway (GWR) also operates a limited bus replacement service between Reading, Swindon, and Didcot.
GWR tickets are accepted on other operators’ trains without amendment. Passengers holding tickets for journeys on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, may use them on Thursday instead or request refunds. Network Rail advised passengers not to travel between Reading and Swindon during
the ongoing disruption.
Mark Hopwood, GWR Managing Director, said, “I’m sorry to customers caught up in the disruption caused by the gas leak near Didcot this evening. The safety cordon includes the railway, and train services will continue to be affected into today (Wednesday) while gas engineers work to make the area safe and repair the leak.” He added that the company is diverting trains where possible and working to source replacement transport.
Service alterations include an hourly diverted route for trains running between London Paddington and Bath/Bristol, and hourly services operating between Bristol Temple Meads and Didcot. GWR expects
to maintain normal services on unaffected routes such as Reading to London Paddington and Swindon to Chippenham, Bath, and Bristol while disruption persists.
Train services are expected to face severe disruption at least until the end of Wednesday, September 23, 2026. Passengers on affected routes are urged to check for updates and consider rail replacement options.
