Engineering works to close key Surrey rail lines

Key sections of the railway network in Surrey will be closed over the festive period as major engineering work is carried out.

On 15 December 2024 and from 23 December 2024 until 5 January 2025 inclusive train services will be altered while work to upgrade the railway between Farnborough and Woking is carried out, Network Rail said.

Services between London Waterloo and Southampton/Weymouth will be diverted, adding 45 minutes to journeys, both Network Rail and South Western Railway (SWR) said.

Some services will be diverted but where trains cannot operate, replacement buses will be in operation.

Network Rail said the work included installing new switches, crossings, and over 100 new track panels as well as laying over 5,000m (16,404ft) of new electrification cabling.

Mark Goodall, Network Rail's Wessex route director, said: "We're urging passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel over the festive period while we carry out these essential improvements to the railway.

"We know there is never a good time to close the railway. However, the festive period presents us with an opportune time to complete more complex upgrades."

Buses will replace trains between Farnborough and Woking on 23 and 24 December, and 27 December - 3 January.

On 5 January, buses are replacing trains between Aldershot/Basingstoke/Guildford and Weybridge, and Andover/Winchester and Woking.

No train services will be running in Surrey on Christmas Day or Boxing Day.

Passengers can check services by using the journey planner tool on the Network Rail or SWR website.

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