THE Severn Tunnel will be closed for three weeks from this weekend, adding 40 minutes onto train journeys between south Wales and London.

The tunnel will be shut from Saturday, June 16, until Friday, July 6, with main line Great Western Railway services between Swansea and London Paddington diverted via Gloucester, as electrification work is carried out. These services will not call at Bristol Parkway.

And all services from London will terminate at Bristol Parkway on Sunday, June 17, with replacement bus services running to Newport.

A bus replacement service will also run between Newport and Cardiff Central from Monday, July 2, until Friday, July 6, due to reduced Arriva Trains Wales services operating as a result of upgrade work in the Cwmbran area.

There will also be a reduced service operating between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway for the duration of the work, with just one train an hour at peak times. Passengers may need to change at Bristol Temple Meads for trains to Bristol Parkway.