ONE MONTH TO GO: Vital engineering work in Portsmouth area to close railway for a week

Network Rail has issued the following press release:

During February half term, from Saturday 15 to Friday 21 February, parts of the railway between Portsmouth and Havant and Fareham will be closed with trains replaced by buses while Network Rail completes critical engineering upgrades.

During the seven-day line closure, Network Rail engineers will be working around the clock across a number of different worksites, including:

• At Portcreek Junction, engineers will lay 390m of new track and 450m of conductor rail (the part of the track that provides power to the trains), and replace two sets of points - the moveable sections of track that allow trains to move from one line to another.
• At Bedhampton, new track will be laid and ballast put down at the level crossing, which will also be given a fresh lick of paint.
• Between Quay Viaduct, Fareham and Portchester power sub-station, a number of dead, diseased and dangerous trees will be removed to reduce leaf fall onto railway tracks and help keep trains running safely and on time.
• Fratton footbridge will be also refurbished to bring it up to modern loading standards, with scaffolding erected to allow engineers to work on the exterior elevations of the structure including painting the underside of the bridge.

These upgrades and specifically the replacement of new track will help reduce the need for temporary speed restrictions and boost the reliability of the railway in this area, making for smoother, quieter, more comfortable and reliable journeys for passengers in the future.

How will this work impact train services?

Saturday 15 – Tuesday 18 February – A rail replacement bus service will be running between Havant and Fareham and Havant and Portsmouth Harbour. Southern passengers can use South Western Railway trains between Fareham and Southampton Central. When these trains are not running in the early morning and late evening, Southern will run rail replacement buses between Havant and Southampton Central.

Saturday 15 – Friday 21 February A rail replacement bus service will be running between Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour.

Passengers are advised to check with their train operator, South Western Railway, Great Western Railway or Southern, for more information about rail replacement services.

Mark Goodall, Network Rail’s Wessex Route Director, said: “There’s never a good time to close the railway but the February half term will see fewer passengers using our services.

"Our engineers will be working across a number of worksites to complete a range of really important upgrades that, once complete, will make for more reliable and enjoyable journeys for the many passengers who travel on this busy and critical part of the rail network.

“I’d like to apologise to any passengers impacted by this work and thank them for bearing with us while we carry out these vital improvements to our railway.”

Jenny Saunders, Customer Service Director at Southern, said: “Please be sure to plan ahead and allow plenty of extra time for your journey if you’re travelling west of Havant with Southern this February half term. We have all the information on our website, southernrailway.com.”

Peter Williams, Customer and Commercial Director for South Western Railway said: “We’re recommending that customers check before travelling if they are using our services in the Portsmouth area, as rail replacement buses will run from Fareham and Havant, and also between Portsmouth & Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour.

“We’re sorry for the disruption, however, the work our colleagues at Network Rail will carry out during these closures will result in a more reliable railway and smoother journeys.”

ENDS