The railway at Dolphin Junction, between Slough and Reading, reopened on Sunday 4 January after Network Rail completed essential upgrades carried out over Christmas and New Year. Services have returned to the normal timetable, with the route restored before midday.

During the festive period, engineers renewed the points and overhead line equipment on two of the four tracks on the junction's western side. Points are the moveable sections of rail that allow trains to switch between lines, providing flexibility across the network.

This busy junction handles up to 48 trains per hour and around 40 million tonnes of traffic each year. The heavy loads mean points wear faster than other parts of the railway; replacing them improves resilience and supports the safe, dependable running of services.

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An amended timetable had been in place from Saturday 27 December for trains to and from London Paddington, reflecting the temporary reduction in available lines while the work was underway.

Elsewhere on the Western route over Christmas, construction progressed on a new station in the North Filton area of Bristol. A freight line was temporarily closed so engineers could realign track and improve drainage, while teams also worked on new foundations for the platforms.

Marcus Jones, Network Rail's Western route managing director, said: "We'd like to thank passengers for their patience while we carried out this vital work to renew infrastructure at a junction between Slough and Reading over the festive period. Fewer people travel by rail between Christmas and New Year compared to a normal working week, which gives us a valuable opportunity to deliver major upgrades such as this one while causing as little disruption as possible.

"Completing these improvements helps keep trains running safely and reliably, and we’re pleased to have reopened the line this morning, ahead of the first full working week of the year."