South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail Wessex (NR Wessex) services between Farnham, Alton and Guildford will be replaced by buses over the August Bank Holiday.
Between Saturday 29 and Monday 31 August, SWR and NR Wessex engineers will carry out a range of work to keep trains running reliably. Over the River Mole, between Bookham and Leatherhead, they will replace wheel timbers, large wooden blocks that carry rails over bridges, which will help keep services moving on time.
On the line between Surbiton and Guildford, engineers will Improve the railway’s resilience to flooding, by performing drainage refurbishment at Effingham Junction.
On the Alton line, teams will tamp the ballast under the tracks to keep rails at an even level and ensure smoother and safer journeys for customers. At Alton station, teams will also carry out repairs to the canopy on platform 2.
Customers travelling on routes serving Guildford and Alton over the August Bank Holiday weekend should check their journey before they travel.
This programme of work has been scheduled for the August Bank Holiday weekend, when fewer customers typically travel, helping to minimise disruption while maintaining and improving the railway.
Over the August Bank Holiday weekend, the following service changes will apply:
- Saturday 29 August – Buses will replace trains between Surbiton and Effingham Junction via Cobham, with one train per hour operating between Effingham Junction and Guildford
- Sunday 30 August – Buses will replace trains between Surbiton and Guildford via Cobham, with additional replacement buses operating between Leatherhead and Guildford via Effingham Junction
- Saturday 29 to Monday 31 August – Buses will replace trains between Farnham and Alton
Thomas Desmond, Operations Director for South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, said:
“We’re grateful to our customers for their patience while we carry out engineering work over the August Bank Holiday weekend. These upgrades are an important investment in the railway’s future, helping to improve reliability, reduce the likelihood of disruption and ensure that we continue to provide a safe and dependable service for our customers.
“Most of our network will remain open, but some journeys on routes serving Guildford and Alton will be affected. Customers can find out more on our website, where they can also check their journey before travelling.”
Image credit: Network Rail
