Rail users in and around Bath are being asked to plan their journeys carefully later this month as Network Rail begins major conservation of two key pieces of railway heritage: the Grade II listed Sydney Gardens footbridge and the eastern portal of the famed Box Tunnel.

Sydney Gardens footbridge, designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and set within one of Britain's oldest Georgian pleasure gardens, is the last remaining cast-iron footbridge of its type on the Great Western Mainline.

Over the next two months the bridge will be grit-blasted, have steel and masonry repaired, receive a full repaint, and gain a completely new wooden deck. To safeguard the surrounding park, the structure will be fully wrapped during the works. East of Bath near Corsham, engineers will also survey and repair the Grade II listed eastern entrance to Box Tunnel, another landmark of Brunel's early railway engineering.

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Scaffolding for both schemes will be put up during planned line closures between Bath Spa and Chippenham on consecutive weekends in April and May. The closures will also enable other essential maintenance, including track renewal at Bathford and drainage upgrades in Corsham.

From today, 13 April, a work compound will operate from the existing Bath & North East Somerset Council site in Sydney Gardens. For safety, the area directly beneath the footbridge, including the footpath, will be closed with clear diversions signposted. The park's second footbridge will remain open.

Buses will replace trains between Bath Spa and Chippenham or Westbury on 25–26 April and 2–4 May. Rail tickets will be accepted on First Bus services between Bath and Trowbridge or Frome. Services between London Paddington and Bath Spa will be diverted between Swindon and Bristol Temple Meads and will not call at Chippenham, though some trains will still run between London Paddington and Chippenham (except Sundays). GWR will continue to operate trains between Cardiff Central and Bath Spa, and between Westbury and Portsmouth Harbour, Frome or Weymouth. Due to additional improvement work, buses will also replace trains between Swindon and Westbury until around midday on 26 April. Rail replacement buses will stop in Freshford village and Westwood village rather than at the stations.