Passengers reminded to check before they travel ahead of railway upgrade in Fulwell: Fulwell flooding - Image 2

Tuesday 12 Jul 2016

Passengers reminded to check before they travel ahead of railway upgrade in Fulwell

Region & Route:
| Southern: Wessex
| Southern

Network Rail is reminding passengers to check before they travel between 16-30 July, as it carries out work to address the recurring issue of flooding on the line between Fulwell and Shepperton, particularly at the Fulwell Tunnel, as part of its Railway Upgrade Plan.

In order to carry out the £6m upgrade, it will be necessary for Network Rail to close the railway from Shepperton to Teddington and Strawberry Hill for two weeks, from 16 to 30 July. Trains from Waterloo will terminate at Teddington and Strawberry Hill stations. Buses will replace trains while the works are ongoing.

The line was built as a freight line in 1864, below the water level due to the need to pass under the Longford River. It was used for passenger services from 1901 and electrified in 1916. Network Rail will now carry out vital upgrade work to the drainage system, including building a new pumping station.

Work carried out during the two week closure will significantly improve the capability of the drainage system. Further weekend work planned for later in the summer will then lead up to the full commissioning of the new system this autumn.

Hector Kidds, Senior Asset Engineer at Network Rail said, “Passengers travelling on the Fulwell to Shepperton line will know all too well the problems flooding can cause.

“Over the years a number of solutions have been attempted, but this time we’re taking a different approach, installing a new pumping station that will significantly reduce the impact of flooding on passenger train services.

“I’d like to thank passengers and those living near the line for their patience and understanding. Passengers should check before they travel as there will be some temporary disruption while we carry out this upgrade.”

Arthur Pretorius, Customer Service Director for South West Trains, said: “We know how frustrating it is for passengers when their journeys are disrupted. The works being carried out this month will significantly improve the drainage system in this area and help to provide better and more reliable journeys for our passengers.

“I would urge all passengers to check for information on our website and at stations so they understand their travel options while the works are carried out.”

While the line is closed for the drainage upgrade, Network Rail will also take the opportunity to carry out preparatory work for planned replacement of the signalling system on this stretch of track. This brings forward part of a larger programme of resignalling work taking place in south west London and will reduce the need for future closures of the line for this work. The new signalling system is planned to be brought into use in October 2017.

During the closure from 16 to 30 July, South West Trains will operate a bus replacement service between Shepperton and Teddington/Strawberry Hill to keep passengers moving, and passengers are advised to check before they travel during this time.

ENDS

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Railway Upgrade Plan makes up over two-thirds of Network Rail’s £40bn spending priorities for the five years to 2019 and represents the biggest sustained programme of rail modernisation since the Victorian era.

Ticket acceptance on alternative routes

Passengers with a season ticket will be able to use their tickets to travel to and from the following stations: Staines - Whitton, and Weybridge - Surbiton, including the Hampton Ct branch.

Replacement bus services

Station Name:

Bus Stop / calling points

Twickenham

Arrivals: London Road bus stop B

 

Departures: London Road bus stop C

Strawberry Hill

Welllesley Road, west side of level crossing

Teddington

Waldegrave Road Stop A

Fulwell

To Shepperton: Wellington Road bus stop B

 

To Teddington: Wellington Road bus stop A

Hampton

To Shepperton: Station Road bus stop K

 

To Teddington: Station Road bus stop D

Kempton Park

To Shepperton: Staines Road East (A308) outside The Jubilee pub

 

To Teddington: Staines Road East (A308) opposite The Jubilee pub

Sunbury

To Shepperton: Green Street opposite St Ignatius Church

 

To Teddington: Green Street adjacent Sunbury Cross roundabout

Upper Halliford

To Shepperton: Nursery Road adjacent Peregrine Road

 

To Teddington: Nursery Road near Peregrine Road

Shepperton

Station Approach, station forecourt bus stop

If you are travelling during this time, please plan your journey in advance. You can do so by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk or www.southwesttrains.co.uk

Car Parking Arrangements:

There will be substantially fewer spaces available at the following car parks while this work takes place:

  • Fulwell
  • Hampton
  • Sunbury
  • Shepperton

If you have a car parking season ticket that is valid for a month or longer you will be able to use your ticket at Surbiton, Walton-on-Thames and Ashford (Surrey) from 16 to 30 July however parking at these stations will be extremely limited.

Contact information

Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41

Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries

Journalists
Network Rail press office - Owen Johns
Media relations manager (Wessex route)
07710 959476
Owen.Johns@networkrail.co.uk

About Network Rail

We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.

Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.

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