TfL Rail will operate services to Reading from 15 December

December 3, 2019

From Sunday 15 December current Great Western Railway (GWR) stopping services between and Reading will be operated by TfL Rail. This is the next step in the delivery of the Elizabeth line.

Between 15 December 2019 and 2 January 2020, existing fares will apply. Children under 11 who are accompanied by an adult, as well as customers who are eligible for the , will be able to travel for free to Reading on the TfL service.

Customers will be able to use contactless pay as you go between London Paddington and Reading from 2 January 2020.

From this date, TfL Rail fares will be aligned with the fares to Reading, which have now been confirmed as £24.40 for a peak adult pay as you go journey between Reading and London Paddington (with the off-peak fare of £10.60). Daily and weekly capping are expected to be introduced in spring 2020.

Pay as you go with Oyster will not be extended to services beyond due to limitations with the system, which is now more than 15 years old.

Customers using Oyster pay as you go wishing to travel to or from stations beyond West Drayton will need to buy a paper ticket, or use contactless from 2 January 2020, covering the entire length of their journey.

During peak times, Monday to Friday (not on public holidays) between 06:30 and 09:30, and between 16:00 and 19:00, services to and from Reading will run every 15 minutes and two trains an hour will run during off-peak times.

From Sunday 15 December some train and departure times will change, so customers are advised to check before they travel.

Howard Smith, Operations Director for TfL Rail, said: ‘Running TfL Rail services to Reading is an important step towards opening the Elizabeth line and reinforces the key transport links between these two areas for local people and businesses.

‘Customers will benefit from the free travel for under-11s and the convenience of pay as you go contactless fares from the New Year.’

A new edition of the will be produced in December reflecting changes to the transport network, including the addition of TfL Rail services to Reading.

Network Rail will be undertaking some Christmas engineering work between 24 December and 31 December.

There will be no service on TfL Rail between London Paddington, and on Tuesday 24 December and Friday 27 December with replacement buses operating. There will be no service on the entire line on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Photo credit: TfL