Buses will replace trains in the Basingstoke area over the early May Bank Holiday Weekend (Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May) while Network Rail complete essential track improvements.
Over the two-day closure, Network Rail’s engineers will be replacing the track that runs through Platform 4 at Basingstoke station as well as between Fleet and Farnborough stations. At Farnborough, the ‘third’ electric rail will also be renewed.
Alongside this, engineers will complete a range of other work including improving how the electric current is fed to the railway west of Basingstoke; testing and commissioning new power cables between Winchester and Worting Junction, where the main line from London splits with services heading towards Salisbury and Southampton; and strengthening the embankment new Hook. Teams will be carrying track replacement and embankment stabilisation in the Bramley area.
Engineers will also be removing 220 tonnes worth of scrap material from the railway to be recycled.
Changes to train services on Sunday 4 May and Monday 5 May
- Rail replacement buses will run between Woking and Winchester/Andover.
- South Western Railway services from London Waterloo to Weymouth will divert via Guildford and Havant. Other long-distance SWR services will start from Winchester/Eastleigh.
- SWR Services from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids will, instead, start at Andover.
- Additional fast services between London Waterloo and Woking will run.
- Stopping services to/from Basingstoke will not run.
- Buses will replace Great Western Railway services between Reading and Basingstoke.
- CrossCountry services will divert via Guildford and Havant.
- On Sunday 4 May ONLY, buses replace trains between Surbiton/Leatherhead and Guildford, and between New Malden and Shepperton/Twickenham.
- On Sunday 4 May ONLY, Queenstown Road (Battersea) station will be closed all day while we carry out track maintenance.
Mark Goodall, Wessex Route Director for Network Rail, said: “We appreciate that these closures, especially in an area such as Basingstoke, are incredibly inconvenient to passengers and we apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.
“Generally, we see lower passenger numbers over Bank Holiday Weekends, which is why we complete this work at times like these. I encourage passengers to check with their train operator before they travel and please plan ahead.”
Alex Hills, Reading Station Manager for Great Western Railway, said: “We would like to thank our customers in advance for their patience while important improvement work is carried out.
“But please do check before you travel, as the bus replacement journey will take a little longer than our train service.”
A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “Our colleagues at Network Rail are set to carry out vital maintenance at locations across our network, affecting both short and long-distance services. Journey times may be longer and rail replacement buses will operate, so it’s important that customers plan their journeys in advance and check before travelling.”
Image credit: Network Rail
