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Wednesday 20 Mar 2024

Hampshire: Landslip repair work at Farnborough means changes to trains this Sunday 24 March

Region & Route:

Southern

| Southern: Wessex

Emergency work to repair a landslip will result in a reduced train service and buses replacing some trains this Sunday between Basingstoke and Woking, and between Woking and Aldershot.

Customers are asked to check before they travel this Sunday as train services through the Farnborough area will be revised while engineers carry out repairs at a railway cutting, during which there will be a reduced train service in operation and some journey times may be extended.

The work is needed because of a landslip caused by recent heavy rainfall, and although two of the four tracks through the area affected will need to be closed for the day, two tracks will remain open meaning that some trains can still pass through.

There will be some changes however, which is why Network Rail and South Western Railway are asking customers to plan ahead and allow extra time to complete their journeys. The work will be completed in time for the start of service on Monday 25 March.

Matt Pocock, Network Rail’s route director for Wessex said: “We’re sorry for the inconvenience to customers on Sunday, but we've had some very wet weather recently, and because of this we need to repair a small landslip on a railway cutting north of Farnborough, so that we can stabilise it and stop it from slipping further.

"Because engineers will require access to two of the four tracks through the area, a reduced service will operate on Sunday, there will be changes to train times and buses will replace trains for some journeys.

“I would like to thank customers and local residents for their patience and understanding whilst our teams will be working hard to stabilise the cutting to prevent any future landslips.”

A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “Customers should check before travelling this Sunday and allow extra time to complete their journeys.

“There will be major alterations for services between London Waterloo and Southampton Central, Portsmouth via Basingstoke, Exeter St Davids, and Salisbury. Rail replacement buses will serve stations between Basingstoke and Woking, and between Woking and Aldershot.

“We’re very sorry for this disruption and thank our customers for their patience.”

With some lines in the Farnborough area closed, South Western Railway services will be amended as follows:

• Buses will replace trains between Basingstoke and Woking
• Buses will run between Woking and Aldershot, calling at Brookwood and Ash Vale
• Services between Woking and Alton will run between Guildford and Alton only
• Services from London Waterloo to Southampton Central, Exeter St Davids and Portsmouth Harbour via Basingstoke will depart much earlier than usual, running non-stop between Woking and Basingstoke
• Stopping services between London Waterloo and Salisbury will only run between Basingstoke and Salisbury after 17:00
• Stopping services between London Waterloo and Southampton Central will only run between Basingstoke and Southampton Central after 15:00

Customers should check before they travel at www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey.