Network Rail and South Western Railway (SWR) are urging passengers to plan ahead and check before traveling as essential engineering work is set to begin over the festive period. Starting on Sunday, 15 December 2024, and continuing from Monday, 23 December 2024, until Monday, 6 January 2025, significant revisions to train services will affect the South West Main Line.
The planned work, which will take place at Brookwood, between Farnborough and Woking, is essential to upgrading the railway to ensure the continued safe and reliable operation of the network. Engineers will use specialist equipment, including 19 engineering trains, two tampers, and a rail-mounted crane, to complete the extensive upgrades.
The improvements include:
- Installing new switches and crossings at Pirbright Junction, where the line to Aldershot branches off towards Basingstoke.
- Laying 3,000 metres of new conductor (third) rail, which powers the trains.
- Installing over 100 new track panels, totaling around 2,000 metres of track.
- Installing approximately 2,800 new sleepers and 9,450 tonnes of ballast, which supports the track.
- Laying over 5,000 metres of new electrification cabling.
- Upgrading track circuits and installing new heating equipment to prevent points from freezing during the cold winter months.
- Strengthening embankments to reduce the risk of landslips and performing tamping work between Hook and Farnborough.
- Improving drainage between Brookwood and Farnborough to prevent flooding by installing new pipes and catch-pits near the Basingstoke Canal.
During the works, South Western Railway services will be altered or diverted, with some journeys expected to take significantly longer. To accommodate passengers, rail replacement buses will operate on the following routes:
- Sunday, 15 December: Basingstoke to Woking
- Monday, 23 December and Tuesday, 24 December: Farnborough to Woking
- Friday, 27 December to Friday, 3 January: Farnborough to Woking
- Sunday, 5 January: Aldershot to Weybridge, Basingstoke to Weybridge, Andover to Woking, Winchester to Woking, Weybridge to Guildford
There will be no train or bus services on Christmas Day (Wednesday, 25 December) and Boxing Day (Thursday, 26 December).
Passengers are advised to visit www.southwesternrailway.com/woking-christmas for full details on how the engineering work will affect their journeys and to plan ahead before traveling.