The Reading Festival weekend is to be hit by rail delays

For the second year running, the rail line between London Paddington and Reading, Berkshire, will be closed.

Engineering work will be carried out on lines either side of Slough on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Thousands will be expected to use alternative services on the Waterloo line and special return buses laid on to Paddington in the early hours.

Festival-goers are also being urged to car share by the event's organisers, Mean Fiddler.

A spokesman told BBC News Online: "We have done everything we can to negate the problems this causes.

"Ultimately the decision was out of our hands."