Network Rail will be working around the clock for 14 days to switch on 116 new state-of-the-art digital signals which have been installed across parts of the railway in south west London and Berkshire.
The multi-stage closure which is due to take place between 19 August to 1 September will see a three-part closure of the railway between Barnes and Virginia Water, Windsor & Eton Riverside and Hounslow.
The signalling upgrade is part of the wider Feltham and Wokingham re-signalling programmes which has stretched over four years. In that time, the team has installed 11km of new cabling, that is housed in 14km of refurbished cable ducts and 27 new under-track cable routes.
Alongside those section upgrades, Network Rail has also upgraded seven level crossings. The project as a whole is projected to be completed in early 2024 when phase five of the project which involves upgrading the signalling controlled by Feltham Area Signalling Centre and Wokingham Signal Box – an 80 mile section of rail and 13 level crossings will be completed.
Following the switching on of the newly installed signals, passengers will benefit from more reliable journeys and fewer delays on the Windsor Lines which are a key route for commuters in and out of London.
Control of this part of the railway will be moved to the Basingstoke Rail Operating Centre, a purpose-built rail hub that is shared with SWR.
Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said: “At the end of this month we will reach a significant milestone of our wider Feltham and Wokingham resignalling programme with the switching on of the new signals on the Windsor Lines.
“Our engineers will be working tirelessly over this forthcoming 14-day period to commission the new signals, which we know will help improve reliability and reduce the likelihood of delays on this important stretch of railway.
“I’d like to say sorry in advance to any customers impacted by this work and thank them for their patience and understanding during this time.”
Photo Credit: Network Rail
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