Passengers in the Basingstoke area should be prepared for significant changes to their travel plans over the upcoming early May Bank Holiday weekend (Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May), as buses will replace trains while essential track improvements are carried out by Network Rail.
The two-day closure will see engineers working to replace the track running through Platform 4 at Basingstoke station, as well as on the stretch between Fleet and Farnborough stations. Additionally, the ‘third’ electric rail at Farnborough will be renewed, marking a key milestone in the ongoing upgrade of the region’s railway infrastructure.
Other significant works scheduled for the weekend include improvements to the electric current supply west of Basingstoke, testing and commissioning new power cables between Winchester and Worting Junction, and strengthening the embankment near Hook. Track replacement and embankment stabilisation will also take place in the Bramley area. Furthermore, 220 tonnes of scrap material will be removed from the railway for recycling.
Changes to Train Services on 4 and 5 May
With the track improvements taking place, rail replacement buses will run between Woking and Winchester/Andover, providing an alternative for passengers on affected routes.
Key service changes include:
- South Western Railway (SWR) services from London Waterloo to Weymouth will divert via Guildford and Havant.
- Other long-distance SWR services will operate from Winchester or Eastleigh.
- SWR services from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids will instead begin at Andover.
- Additional fast services will run between London Waterloo and Woking.
- Stopping services to/from Basingstoke will not run during the closure.
- Buses will replace Great Western Railway services between Reading and Basingstoke.
- CrossCountry services will divert via Guildford and Havant.
On Sunday 4 May only, buses will replace trains between Surbiton/Leatherhead and Guildford, and between New Malden and Shepperton/Twickenham. Additionally, Queenstown Road (Battersea) station will be closed for the entire day for track maintenance.
What Passengers Need to Know
Mark Goodall, Wessex Route Director for Network Rail, acknowledged the disruption these changes will cause to passengers and apologised for the inconvenience. “We appreciate that these closures, especially in an area such as Basingstoke, are incredibly inconvenient to passengers. Generally, we see lower passenger numbers over Bank Holiday Weekends, which is why we complete this work at times like these. I encourage passengers to check with their train operator before they travel and please plan ahead,” he said.
Alex Hills, Reading Station Manager for Great Western Railway, also thanked passengers for their patience. “Please do check before you travel, as the bus replacement journey will take a little longer than our train service.”
A spokesperson for South Western Railway echoed this sentiment, urging passengers to plan ahead: “Our colleagues at Network Rail are set to carry out vital maintenance at locations across our network, affecting both short and long-distance services. Journey times may be longer, and rail replacement buses will operate, so it’s important that customers plan their journeys in advance and check before travelling.”
For the latest updates and information on rail replacement services, passengers are advised to check with their train operator before travelling.
Discover more from Overton Radio
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.