Rail Users between Guildford and Portsmouth are being made aware of staggered rail and road closures in the Surrey and Hampshire areas, between 27 September and 13 November, as Network Rail engineers complete the final stage of the Portsmouth Direct signalling upgrade.
As part of our work, signalling control will be transferred to the Basingstoke Railway Operating Centre (ROC). The 90 new signals and 17 new signalling equipment buildings that have been installed and constructed will be tested during the line closure. Transferring to the ROC will enable faster and more efficient train management.
Between September and November, Network Rail will be upgrading nine level crossings to make them safer for all road users. They are replacing manual level crossing operations with new technology including Obstacle Detection (OD) and CCTV control.
Changes to train services
To prepare for commissioning, there will be four weekend closures between Guildford and Havant taking place on 27-28 September, 4-5 October, 11-12 October and 18-19 October. A longer nine-day closure will then run from Saturday 25 October to Sunday 2 November. During the closure, control of signalling between Farncombe and Petersfield will be transferred to the ROC.
Speaking on behalf of Network Rail and South Western Railway, Mark Goodall, Wessex Route Director, said: “We appreciate that there is never a good time to close the railway and we’re sorry for the disruption this will cause. However, these closures are essential to complete the vital upgrade of the Portsmouth Direct line. By carrying out the majority of work during the October half-term - when fewer people travel – we can minimise disruption while delivering long-term benefits.”
Image credit: Network Rail
