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Friday 6 Mar 2026

EASTER WEEKEND: Network Rail to carry out essential maintenance of vital rail corridor in Eastleigh

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

This Easter weekend, from Friday 3 April to Monday 6 April, Network Rail will be carrying out essential maintenance work in the Eastleigh area, a vital corridor for passengers and freight.

The line between Winchester and St Denys will be closed and buses will replace trains between Winchester and Southampton Central across the four days.

Approximately 3,500 trains run through the area each week. Because of this heavy use, engineers need time to inspect the line and ensure that services can run smoothly.

What work is taking place?

During this time, engineers will carry out maintenance work on the switches and crossings, the components that allow trains to change tracks, to ensure a smooth ride for passengers and freight and prevent failures in this critical part of the network.

Engineers will be tamping and stoneblowing, lifting the track and making sure it is in the optimal alignment with the correct amount of ballast inserted underneath, to support the railway.

Changes to services

Train services between London Waterloo and Weymouth will be diverted via Guildford and Havant, adding additional time to passenger journeys.

Services between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour via Eastleigh services will finish their journeys at Winchester, while services connecting Salisbury and Southampton will not serve stations via Eastleigh. Train services will continue to run between Southampton Central and Portsmouth Harbour.

A fast bus will run once per hour between Winchester and Southampton Central, calling at Southampton Airport Parkway. A stopping bus service will run once per hour between Winchester and Southampton Central, and will call at Shawford, Eastleigh and Southampton Airport Parkway.

One bus per hour will run between Romsey and Southampton Central, calling at Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh, Southampton Airport Parkway, Swaythling and St Denys.

Another bus, once per hour, will run between Winchester and Fareham, calling at Shawford, Eastleigh, Hedge End and Botley.

Speaking on behalf of South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, George Murrell, Route Renewals Director, said: “These improvements will provide better journeys for customers and a more reliable railway for freight, heading to one of the country’s busiest and most important freight terminals in Southampton."