Rail passengers urged to plan ahead as Portsmouth Direct Line between Guildford and Petersfield to shut for nine days

Buses will replace trains between Guildford and Petersfield from Saturday to Sunday, February 20, as engineers work round the clock on critical track maintenance and upgrades to signalling, level crossings and stations.

The work is part of a £94m programme of improvements between Farncombe and Petersfield that will eventually replace the 1970s signalling with a state-of-the-art system.

Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said: ‘When the resignalling is finished in 2024, passengers travelling between London Waterloo and Portsmouth will enjoy a much more reliable railway, with fewer delays.

‘There’s never a good time to close such a busy part of the network, but doing the work over nine consecutive days means we can minimise disruption for passengers, the people who live by the railway and the wider economy.

‘We’re working closely with South Western Railway to make sure people can still travel, but I would encourage passengers to plan ahead and check before you travel.’

Network Rail’s Wessex Route carried out two extended line closures last year, delivering major improvements quicker than the traditional approach of weekend closures over a much longer period.

Christian Neill, SWR’s customer experience director, said: ‘The work taking place on the Portsmouth line marks the start of a huge investment in railway infrastructure which will improve customer journeys for years to come.

‘I realise these works will mean disruption for our customers; however, replacement buses will be in operation wherever lines need to be closed and I’d encourage anyone traveling with us to check to see if their journey will be affected.

‘I’d also like to thank our customers for their patience whilst these essential works are carried out.’

When the programme is complete in 2024, 12 level crossings on the route will be upgraded to make them safer for drivers and pedestrians.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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