Passengers have been urged to avoid the railways this weekend after Network Rail announced emergency electrification work.

The work will see no trains running between Didcot, Newbury, Reading and London.

From 2am on Saturday to the beginning of service on Monday October 16, Great Western Railways long distance services will not be running through Reading.

Replacement bus service will operate between Slough, Reading and Didcot Parkway but GWR warned these are likely to be 'extremely busy' with 'significantly longer' journey times as they will use key roads.

Passengers can travel on Chiltern Railways services - from Oxford and Oxford Parkway - to London Marylebone instead.

The work is to accommodate the new GWR Class 387 electric commuter trains from January 2018.

But the electrification project will stop at Didcot Parkway after the section to Oxford was deferred indefinitely.

Network Rail's Western Route managing director Mike Gallop, said: "The electrification work in the Reading area this weekend is essential in order to enable GWR’s new fleet of electric trains to run between London Paddington and Didcot from January 2018.

"I’d like to apologise to passengers affected by this work and urge anyone planning to travel through Reading this weekend to check before you travel."