Press release -
PORTSMOUTH: Network Rail to carry out urgent track repairs on a railway bridge on Sunday
On Sunday 15 March, buses will replace trains between Havant, Fareham and Portsmouth Harbour from 9am due to urgent engineering works.
Network Rail engineers will be replacing two damaged wheel timbers on Portcreek viaduct, which connects the mainland with Portsmouth on the Isle of Portsea. Wheel timbers are the long blocks which support the rails when going over bridges.
On Sunday, the following changes to train services are taking place:
- South Western Railway services for Portsmouth will be terminating at Havant or Fareham.
- Southern services for Portsmouth will be terminating at Chichester.
- Great Western Railway services for Portsmouth Harbour will be terminating at Southampton
Services are expected to resume at the start of service on Monday 16 March.
Passengers are advised to allow extra time to complete their journeys. A bus replacement service will run between Fareham and Portsmouth Harbour as well as between Havant and Portsmouth Harbour. Buses will operate but not to a timetable so please speak to station staff for help with your journey.
Speaking on behalf of Network Rail and South Western Railway, George Murrell, Wessex route renewals director, said: “We’d like to apologise to passengers in the Portsmouth area who are impacted by this short notice closure to the railway. We are making urgent repairs to the damaged wheel timbers so trains can run at normal speeds again. Please can you check before you travel and allow more time to complete your journeys.”
Jenny Saunders, Customer Service Director for Southern, said: “These damaged wooden blocks have been causing significant disruption to our passenger services and it’s essential they are replaced as soon as possible. I am sorry that, inevitably, this is going to upset some travel plans for our passengers on Sunday, so please be aware and check the changes at nationalrail.co.uk once they have been made, on Sunday morning.”
ENDS
For more information, contact Tom Moore
Communications Manager
Network Rail
07354531500
Thomas.Moore@networkrail.co.uk
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