Rail customers in Surrey and Hampshire are set to benefit from a more reliable railway as Network Rail prepares to complete 15 key upgrades between Guildford and Petersfield later this month.
The work, which will be carried out over a five-day period from Monday 24 to Friday 28 July, and across multiple sites will involve a range of essential improvements, including:
- Replacing a set of switches and crossings at Haslemere, which will allow trains to move from one track to another more smoothly and safely.
- Upgrading the signalling system between Haslemere and Liphook
- Demolishing and rebuilding the Silo Road footbridge in Haslemere
- They will also be replacing the current 1970’s signalling system in place in Petersfield with a new state-of-the-art signalling system
The work is part of the wider Portsmouth Direct Upgrade programme which includes signalling and track upgrades from Woking to Portsmouth Harbour and includes upgrading 12 level crossings, to automatic half-barrier (AHB) crossings to either manually controlled barrier CCTV crossings (MCBs) or Obstacle Detection (OD) level crossings.
Alongside that, Network Rail are planning to upgrade lighting at existing MCB crossings; and install Miniature Stop Lights (MSLs) on selected footpath crossings.
"We're really pleased to be able to deliver these important upgrades to the Portsmouth Direct line," said Mark Killick, Network Rail's Wessex route director. "This work will help to improve the reliability of the railway for passengers, and make it a more attractive option for people who are travelling between Guildford and Petersfield."
SWR's customer services director, Pat Hegarty, said: "We understand that this work will cause some disruption for our passengers, but we're working with Network Rail to minimise the impact as much as possible. We'll be providing regular updates on our website and social media channels, and we'll be offering passengers alternative travel options."
The work is part of Network Rail's wider programme of investment in the railway network. The company is investing £48 billion over the next five years to improve the reliability and capacity of the network.
The upgrades between Guildford and Petersfield are expected to be completed by the end of July.
Photo Credit: Network Rail
Video graphic courtesy of Google Maps
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