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Thursday 19 May 2005

FULL PROGRAMME OF RAILWAY IMPROVEMENTS SPRINGS INTO ACTION

Region & Route:

| Southern

Taking advantage of the Spring bank holiday weekend, Network Rail is investing heavily in a full programme of essential engineering work across the south. Robin Gisby, Network Rail’s Director of Operations and Customer Service, said: “Network Rail is committed to rebuilding the railway and the Spring bank holiday is a good opportunity to do this as there are fewer people using the trains. We are making full use of our resources to carry out these essential improvements, enhancing the performance of the railway across the south and bringing long-term benefits to passengers.” The largest engineering project will take place in the Basingstoke area where lines from Woking to Basingstoke and Basingstoke to Winchester will be closed from Saturday 28 May until the early hours of Tuesday 31 May. During the closure, along with upgrades to the power supply in the Micheldever area, engineers will carry out extensive maintenance work around Farnborough and Brookwood stations, renewing track points and essential components. Network Rail will also take full advantage of the closure to continue the £1 million project to strengthen and refurbish Battledown Flyover near Basingstoke. Alternative travel arrangements have been made by South West Trains who will operate replacement bus services all weekend between Woking and Winchester, Woking and Basingstoke, and Basingstoke to Winchester calling at Micheldever. Services between London Waterloo and Portsmouth via Guildford will not be affected by the work. Additional measures have also been taken to minimise the disruption for those travelling to the Homelands music festival near Winchester on Saturday 28 May. People travelling to the festival on Saturday are advised to travel by train to Petersfield where a special shuttle bus service will be provided to transport people directly to the festival site. In addition, following consultation with the festival organisers and South West Trains, Network Rail is suspending engineering work on the Sunday morning to allow festival-goers to travel home by train direct from Winchester. In south London, the lines between Denmark Hill and Shortlands and Nunhead and Lewisham will be closed on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 May to allow extensive maintenance work to be carried out. Nearly 500 yards of track will be renewed and some 50 tonnes of ballast replaced along the two lines, along with track foundation work and litter clearance along the lineside. Replacement bus services will operate half hourly between Herne Hill and Beckenham Junction (calling at Denmark Hill, Peckham Rye, Crofton Park, Catford, Bellingham and Beckenham Hill) and between Herne Hill and Lewisham, calling at Denmark Hill and Nunhead. Robin Gisby continued: “Large scale engineering work is essential to the future of the railway. While most of the south enjoys an extended weekend break, hundreds of dedicated railway staff will be forgoing their bank holiday weekend to undertake this intensive programme of engineering, helping to deliver a better railway for the south.” This engineering work has been specifically programmed around the Spring bank holiday weekend to ensure passengers travelling at peak times and commuters are largely unaffected. Half as many people use trains over the holidays compared to normal travel times, on average. The work has been planned in close consultation with train operating companies to ensure passengers can complete their journeys using alternative travel arrangements.  For travel advice, passengers are advised to consult individual train operators or National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 or www.nationalrail.co.uk.