Buses, trains and roads: if you have to get about

We hope you are able to enjoy the warm weather this weekend while staying at home. If you do have to make an essential journey, you may find the following travel updates useful. Bus With the Stay at Home restrictions in place and staff shortages, local bus operators are running reduced services. Don’t rely on timetables at the bus stop, in the apps or the real time displays. Instead check the latest timetables online: First Bus Stage Coach The bus operators are also looking for feedback from key workers on the services: First Bus Stage Coach Don’t forget that if you are a Diamond Travel Card holder, the time restrictions have been lifted so you can get free travel to supermarkets that are running early morning slots for older people. Rail For advice on rail travel across the UK, go to the National Rail enquiries website. Train operators also have their own advice pages including: Cross-Country Trains GWR And for all travel across the West of England check out the Travel West website. Gipsy Patch Lane bridge replacement postponed Work to move the new Gipsy Patch Lane railway bridge into place was due to start today and run until 20th April but it has had to be postponed. The work needs over 150 people to be on site working closely together, so it would have been impossible to follow social distancing guidance. It’s vital to protect the safety of workers and stop the virus spreading. Smaller numbers of workers are still on site doing preparatory highways work. The road remains closed and they continue to run shuttle buses for pedestrians who need to make essential journeys to the other side of the bridge. The new bridge has already been constructed offsite, ready for when the bridge move can be carried out. Despite the postponement of the bridge move, the planned temporary closure of the railway between Bristol Parkway and Newport is still going ahead from Saturday 11 April to Sunday 19 April inclusive. This is so that other planned engineering work on the railway that can be carried out within government guidelines goes ahead. During this period, train services between Bristol and South Wales are changed and buses replace trains between Bristol Parkway and Newport. If a journey is absolutely necessary, we strongly advise you to check before you travel by visiting GWR.com/Check or nationalrail.co.uk. Please note online journey planners may be amended at short notice. Any updates on this project will be posted on social media via www.facebook.com/sgloscpme and the project webpage at www.southglos.gov.uk/cpmetrobus. You can also sign up for a project newsletter on the web page. If you have queries concerning the rail line closure call the Network Rail 24-hour helpline on 03457 11 41 41. Thank you to everyone who is keeping public transport running at this time.