Media centre

Wednesday 7 Mar 2007

UPDATE ON PORTSMOUTH ENGINEERING WORKS

Region & Route:

| Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Further work and testing is necessary before the new signalling system in Portsmouth can become fully operational. Although much work has already been done, more time is needed to complete the installation and testing of the new signalling system. “We apologise to passengers in the Portsmouth area for disruption and inconvenience this will cause. We appreciate they have already been patient, but we are asking for them to bear with us whilst we get the delivery of the project exactly right. At this moment in time we have identified some technical issues to resolve with Siemens regarding the new signalling system and until these are ironed out, it is not yet ready to take over train operation. We are disappointed for all our customers, and we will be doing everything we can to finish this work and get train services in the area back to normal as soon as possible,” said David Pape, route director for Network Rail. Christian Roth, managing director, Siemens Transportation Systems said, "We regret and apologise for the disruption to rail users in the area, as a result of the continued delay in the completion of the project. We are working very hard with Network Rail to minimise further delays. Our efforts continue to be focused on the delivery of a robust and reliable railway for the future." Three passenger services an hour will continue to run from Fratton to Portsmouth Harbour until Sunday 1 April. These are two South West Trains services and one First Great Western. All Southern services will continue to terminate at Fratton. After 2 April, additional measures are being put in place, which will allow five passenger services to run through to Portsmouth Harbour - three South West Trains services, one Southern and one First Great Western. This arrangement will continue until all parties are confident that the Siemens system is fully operational. Network Rail is advising passengers that on Saturday 17 March, the lines between Portsmouth Harbour and Petersfield, Fareham and Chichester will be closed. On Sunday 18 March, the closure will extend to between Haslemere, Swanwick and Eastleigh. This is different to previously advertised, as passenger services to Portsmouth Harbour will now run on Thursday 15 and Friday 16 March. On Saturday 31 March, the lines between Fratton and Portsmouth Harbour will be closed and on Sunday 1 April no services will be running between Hilsea and Portsmouth Harbour. Replacement bus services will continue to supplement rail services and Network Rail is working with all train operating companies to ensure passenger disruption is kept to a minimum and that travellers are kept fully informed about how the works will affect their journeys. Once completed the £100m Portsmouth project will deliver big benefits to passengers in the form of a better and more reliable railway infrastructure for the future. The investment in the area is long overdue and involves the overhaul of signalling and track equipment along a 50 mile stretch of the rail network from Portsmouth to Petersfield and Bedhampton to Portchester. Some of the equipment being replaced dates back until the 1960s and the project will also see the opening of a new signal control centre in Havant. For further travel advice, passengers are advised to consult the South West Trains, Southern Railway and First Great Western websites. www.southwesttrains.co.uk www.southernrailway,com www.firstgreatwestern.co.uk Alternative travel arrangements are also available from National Rail Enquiries on 0845 748 49 50 or www.nationalrail.co.uk