Media centre

Tuesday 24 Aug 2021

Main lines to holiday hotspots open for business this Bank Holiday – but passengers encouraged to check before they travel in parts of South West London and Surrey

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

Network Rail is reminding passengers that while the majority of the network is open, there will be some improvement work taking place over the bank holiday between Saturday 28 and Monday 30 August.

Routes to the beaches of Dorset and Hampshire will be open as normal with work concentrated on suburban lines nearer London.

Mark Killick, Network Rail Wessex route director said: “As we welcome customers back to the railway, we’re working hard to minimise disruption during our improvement works and keep services moving as much as possible on weekends and bank holidays. We can’t guarantee the weather will be good, but our main routes to the coast will be open so people can head out and enjoy a few days off. 

“Closer to the capital our drive to improve the railway continues and over the Bank Holiday weekend teams will be delivering projects in parts of South West London and Surrey. I’d encourage passengers from those areas to check their journeys and we appreciate their patience as we carry out these important activities.”

Alan Penlington, SWR’s customer experience director, said: “The work Network Rail are carrying out this August bank holiday weekend will improve performance and reliability of the network for years to come.  

“I realise these works will mean disruption for our customers; however, replacement buses will be in operation wherever lines need to be closed. I’d like to thank customers for their patience and remind anyone who’s traveling to plan ahead to see if their journey is affected.”

Maintenance work means there will be changes to services between Richmond and Feltham on Saturday until Monday with trains diverted, call at additional stops or replaced by buses. Network Rail’s ongoing project to renew Twickenham Junction will also be continuing, meaning buses replacing trains between Richmond and Hounslow and Richmond and Teddington over all three days of the holiday. Work at this site will continue most weekends until 9-10 October.

Finally, there will also be work around Effingham Junction on the Sunday only, where trains between London Waterloo to Epsom via Guildford will be diverted and services from London Waterloo/Wimbledon to Guildford via Cobham replaced by buses.

Passengers are advised to check their journey before travelling either through SWR or national rail enquiries. Some of the changes include:

Saturday 28 August:

• London Waterloo to Reading/Windsor services will be diverted between Barnes and Feltham and there will be additional services will run between London Waterloo and Richmond
• Buses will run between Teddington and Richmond
• Buses will run between Richmond and Hounslow via Twickenham

Sunday 29 August:

• London Waterloo to Reading services will be diverted between Barnes and Feltham and will call additionally at Hounslow
• Buses will run between Richmond and Hounslow via Twickenham.
• Buses will run between Teddington and Richmond
• Buses will run between Leatherhead and Guildford via Effingham Junction
• London Waterloo/Wimbledon to Guildford via Cobham services will not run. Passengers should travel on alternative services to Surbiton
• Buses will run between Surbiton and Guildford via Effingham Junction

Monday 30 August:

• Additional services will run between London Waterloo and Richmond
• Buses will run between Richmond and Hounslow via Twickenham
• Buses will run between Teddington and Richmond.