This Saturday marks one week to go until the start of critical railway upgrades between Staines and Windsor.
Between Saturday 22 and Friday 28 March, the line between Staines and Windsor will be closed and train services will not run, while Network Rail carry out vital track improvements.
During this time, Network Rail’s team of engineers will lay over 700m of new track on the 174-year-old Black Potts Railway Bridge which crosses the River Thames, just a mile away from Windsor Castle. Engineers will also be carrying out work at May’s Level Crossing in Datchet, widening the pedestrian walkway on one side of the crossing.
While the line between Staines and Windsor will be closed all week, over the weekend of 22-23 March, a range of other vital work will be completed in the wider area around Staines-upon-Thames. This includes:
- Track upgrades and maintenance on the line between Staines and Egham and from Staines to Ascot and Woking.
- Structural repairs to the bridge over the River Wey near Addlestone.
- Installing new sleepers in the Feltham area.
- Changes to train services.
During the closure, buses will replace some South Western Railway (SWR) services between through the Staines area:
- Saturday 22 March – Staines to Windsor, Hounslow to Virginia Water.
- Sunday 23 March – Staines to Windsor, Hounslow to Ascot and Woking.
- Monday 24 March to Friday 28 March – Staines to Windsor.
Network Rail Wessex Route Director Mark Goodall said: “We know that closing this large stretch of railway to the south west of London will be disruptive and we would like to apologise to passengers for the inconvenience this work will cause.
“We started work on this project in 2023 to renew the railway in the Windsor area and this work will allow passengers to enjoy smoother and more reliable journeys for years to come.”
Image credit: Network Rail
