TRAIN services to and from Frome will be affected by nearby rail improvements works over the Christmas period.

Structural repairs to a viaduct between Warminster and Salisbury, alongside tracks being renewed in the Westbury area, means services running through or stopping at Westbury will be suspended or diverted between December 27 and January 23.

A limited service from Bristol Temple Meads will take an alternative route between Trowbridge and Frome, avoiding Westbury.

Replacement bus services will operate between Trowbridge and Westbury, Frome and Salisbury, and between Chippenham and Westbury/Frome.

The TransWilts service between Swindon and Westbury will not run during the work dates.

Trains will continue to operate between Cardiff Central and Trowbridge, Salisbury and Portsmouth Harbour, and between Frome and Weymouth.

The London Paddington service will operate, stopping at Frome instead of Westbury, except during unrelated engineering works from December 27 to December 29.

Councillor Steve Tanner from Frome Town Council said: “The closure of the A36 already represents a challenge for people commuting to and from Frome, so it’s a shame to have disruption to the trains as well.

“However, it’s our understanding that the work is absolutely essential and that all possible measures have been taken to minimise the inconvenience to travellers, including buses and route diversions avoiding the work.

“We’ll share updates from the GWR team as we receive them and we encourage regular commuters to contact them with any specific queries.”

The full details of affected services will appear on the Great Western Railway website in the coming weeks.