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A new footbridge has been opened over the railway near Petersfield in Hampshire, marking a notable success for the Network Rail / South West Trains Alliance level crossing programme.

A team renewing the railway in Hampshire broke records when they improved more than a kilometre of ballast – the stone chippings the track sits on – in one night.

Almost £430m was invested in infrastructure run by the Network Rail / South West Trains Alliance last year, Network Rail revealed today in its full year results for the 2013/14 financial year.

Network Rail has launched a nationwide awareness programme targeting motorists who drive for a living. Aimed at reducing the number of incidents at level crossings involving professional drivers, the programme will include events organised by the Network Rail / South West Trains Alliance.

Passengers in Hampshire, Surrey, Berkshire and south west London can look forward to more trains, more seats and improved stations as five years of massive investment in the rail network connecting London Waterloo and the South West begins tomorrow (Tuesday).

Passengers travelling to and through Southampton are reminded to check before they travel at weekends between now and May as Network Rail will be carrying out extensive planned improvement work to increase the reliability of the railway in the Southampton area.

Work to rebuild the railway at one of the worst landslips ever seen on the network is well underway at Botley in Hampshire.