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Sunday 16 Feb 2020

Flooding at Sway means reduced services between Winchester and London Waterloo on Monday 17 February

Region & Route:

Southern

• Flooding at Sway means no services between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst, plus severe disruption on the rest of the line
• Network Rail and South Western Railway (SWR) are advising passengers not to travel between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst unless absolutely necessary
• Bus replacement services, with a limited capacity, will call at stations between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst
• An hourly shuttle service will call at all stations from Weymouth to Bournemouth
• Passengers should check the South Western Railway website before travelling

Network Rail and South Western Railway (SWR) are advising passengers to check before travelling tomorrow, Monday 17 February, as flooding at Sway will mean a reduced number of services between Winchester and London Waterloo.

Other services will be altered and may not call at their usual stations. Passengers are advised to check the SWR website (www.southwesternrailway.com) for the latest information, as national passenger information systems may not reflect the amended train service.

Due to the flooding at Sway, Network Rail and SWR are advising passengers not to travel between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst unless absolutely necessary.

A bus replacement service, with limited capacity, will operate between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst, but Network Rail and SWR are encouraging passengers to use alternative means of travel where possible.

An hourly shuttle service will run between Weymouth and Bournemouth, calling at all stations.

The railway line at Sway, between Brockenhurst and New Milton on the South West Main Line, has been submerged by flood water. Trains are unable to call at Sway, New Milton, Hinton Admiral, Christchurch and Pokesdown for Boscombe.

Network Rail teams have been on site since Saturday morning to alleviate the flooding however the water levels remain high due to heavy rain. When the water levels are sufficiently low enough, engineers will carry out a thorough inspection to determine whether the line can be safely reopened.

Flooding has also affected the Test Valley area. On Monday, some services between Eastleigh and Redbridge will be diverted via Chandlers Ford, with buses replacing stations that are not served by trains.

Mark Killick, Network Rail Wessex route director, said: “We're sorry for the disruption that our passengers may face tomorrow, particularly those travelling on the South West Main Line between Weymouth and London Waterloo. We strongly advise passengers to check before travelling tomorrow using the South Western Railway website.

“Whilst a limited capacity bus replacement service will operate between Bournemouth and Brockenhurst, we are encouraging passengers to use alternative transport where possible.

“Following Storm Dennis, our teams have been working around the clock to remove fallen trees and reduce flooding, however the continued heavy rain and high winds has caused a number of incidents across the Wessex route.”