South Western Railway (SWR) services between London Waterloo and Guildford, via Cobham & Stoke D’Abernon, and via Epsom, will be affected.
SWR are expected to operate one service per hour to Effingham Junction via Cobham & Stoke D’Abernon, and one service per hour to Effingham Junction via Epsom. Other train services to Guildford via Effingham Junction will be diverted via Woking.
SWR are sourcing a rail replacement bus service to operate between Effingham Junction and Guildford, calling at Clandon, Horsley and London Road Guildford. Journey planners will be updated 24 hours in advance, so passengers are advised to check before travelling.
Remote sensors at the embankment, between Clandon and London Road (Guildford) stations, have recently detected ground movement. While it is safe for trains to travel through the area at reduced speeds, repairs must be carried out for trains to safely travel at normal line speeds.
To stabilise the embankment and allow trains to travel at their normal speeds, Network Rail’s engineers will close the line following the last train service on Friday 20 December. However, the embankment is being closely monitored, and if any further movement is detected, the line may close earlier.
Engineers have already begun preparations including transporting equipment and machinery to the work site. During the closure, to stabilise and strengthen the embankment, they will install 50 sheet piles – 8m long sheets of metal – and a 30m section of soil nails (steel rods), helping underpin the railway.
Tom McNamee, Network Rail’s Wessex route infrastructure director, said: “I’d like to apologise to any passengers whose journeys will be impacted while we complete these emergency repairs.
“We’re acutely aware of the impact of closing this stretch of railway, however, the safety of our passengers and colleagues will always be our number one priority and its imperative we allow our engineers to get in there and stabilise this embankment to prevent any further movement and reopen the line as quickly as possible.
“I recognise some of this work – particularly the piling – may be noisy and disruptive to any local residents living nearby, whom I would like to apologise to in advance and thank them for their patience and understanding.
“We will ensure we provide regular updates on our progress and our engineers will be working tirelessly to complete this work and reopen the railway as quickly and safely as possible.”
A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the disruption that these emergency engineering works will cause, however, it is important that Network Rail engineers are able to access the embankment and carry out repair works as soon as possible.
“Journey planners for revised services between Saturday 21 and Friday 27 December* will be updated 24 hours in advance. It is important that customers check before travelling between London Waterloo and Guildford, via Cobham & Stoke D’Abernon or via Epsom, on these dates.
“Once again, we’re very sorry for the disruption that this emergency engineering work will cause. We are very grateful to our customers for their patience.”
Image credit: Network Rail
