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Monday 2 Nov 2026

October half-term railway upgrades completed between Staines and Windsor

Region & Route:

Southern

| Southern: Wessex

• Bridge and track upgrades formed part of a wider plan to reduce delays and improve reliability between London Waterloo, Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside
• Engineers worked around the clock for seven days whilst the line was closed
• Engineering work took place between Monday 26 October and Sunday 1 November affecting train services in the Staines, Windsor, Hounslow, Feltham and Virginia Water areas

Improvements were completed on South Western Railway’s (SWR) route and Network Rail Wessex route between Staines and Windsor this October.

During the October half-term, from Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November, engineers carried out essential track and bridge maintenance work between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside, as part of ongoing investment in railway infrastructure to improve reliability and resilience for customers across the network.

Buses replaced trains between Monday 26 October and Sunday 1 November.

At a bridge between Staines and Wraysbury, engineers replaced 28 wheel timbers, the wooden blocks that support passing trains, to ensure trains can continue to travel safely at full speed, helping keep services running on time.

In Windsor, engineers replaced 30 long timbers, wooden blocks that support multiple tracks, on the approach to Windsor & Eton Riverside station. The new timbers were installed to support the more than 70 train services that use the station every weekday and improve the railway’s long-term resilience.

Engineers also renewed the switches and crossings near Staines station, where there is an important entry point for trains to enter service.

The work follows SWR and Network Rail Wessex’s plan to improve reliability across the network, including a £15 million investment in track and signalling improvements for the busy critical corridor between London Waterloo and Woking, targeting some of the most common causes of delays.  

Services between London Waterloo and Windsor & Eton Riverside join this corridor at Queenstown Road (Battersea), where further improvements are being delivered to support more reliable journeys.

Thomas Desmond, Operations Director for South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, said:

“These upgrades represent an important investment into the railway's future, improving reliability, reducing the likelihood of disruption and ensuring that we continue to provide a safe and dependable service for our customers.

“We’re thankful to our customers for their patience while we carried out these essential works over the October half- term.”