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Wednesday 8 Apr 2020

Passengers who need to travel urged to plan ahead of biggest rail investment in Guildford in almost 40 years

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

The rail infrastructure in the Guildford area will soon see its biggest investment in nearly 40 years and people who do need to use the railway are urged to check journey times before travelling.

Work to upgrade track and signalling starts on Good Friday (10 April) and although services will resume from the station to London Waterloo via Cobham and Stoke D’Abernon from Tuesday 14 April, other services will not resume until 20 April as per the current revised timetable. 

Bus replacement services will be in place during the vital works, the details of which can be found on SWR and GWR websites.

The upgrades to track and signalling will provide more reliable journeys for passengers who travel between London Waterloo and Guildford, Woking and Portsmouth, Reading and Redhill, and Guildford and Aldershot. The essential work will also enable the removal of two existing speed restrictions.

Guildford junction was last upgraded in the early 1980s, and following almost 40 years of heavy traffic, plus a rising demand for services, the works will provide a more reliable railway for passengers for years to come.

Mark Killick, Network Rail Wessex route director, said: “We apologise to those affected during the essential upgrades. To ensure the ongoing reliability and safe running of the railway, it is vital that we deliver these much-needed works in the Guildford area.  

“I would like to urge people who do need to travel by rail, such as those who can’t work from home, to plan ahead and check before they travel.”

Alan Penlington, Southwestern Railway Customer Experience Director, said: “We know that closing the railway will be inconvenient for those making essential journeys, however, we will ensure that people can still complete their journeys via replacement bus services and alternative rail routes.

“Journey planners have been updated and we urge anyone who needs to travel over the Easter period to check in advance, as journeys may take longer than usual.”

The main work will take place between Friday 10 April and Sunday 19 April and will affect trains operated by SWR, GWR, Cross Country and Southern as follows:

• SWR services between Woking/Guildford and Haslemere and between Guildford and Aldershot will be replaced by buses.
• SWR will run a limited service between London Waterloo and Guildford, via Cobham & Stoke D’ Abernon, from Tuesday 14 April.
• GWR services between Reading and Gatwick Airport will terminate at Ash. Replacement bus services will run between North Camp and Redhill.
• CrossCountry services between Newcastle and Guildford will terminate at Reading.
• Southern services to Guildford will start and terminate at Epsom.