Network Rail will carry out a large programme of improvement work in the Guildford area over Easter

I am sharing an update I received from South Western Railway about
a large programme of improvement work in the Guildford area over Easter that will affect train services for rail users including Haslemere residents.

Passengers advised to plan ahead this Easter with Guildford area set for 10 days of improvement work

  • All lines in the Guildford area will be affected by improvement work between Friday 10 and Sunday 19 April 2020
  • A limited South Western Railway (SWR) service will operate between London Waterloo and Guildford via Cobham & Stoke D’ Abernon between Tuesday 14 and Sunday 19 April
  • Great Western Railway (GWR) and CrossCountry services will be replaced by buses throughout
  • Southern passengers for Guildford will need to change at Epsom for onward SWR services

Network Rail will carry out a large programme of improvement work in the Guildford area over Easter to provide a more reliable railway and better performing train services.

Engineers will lay almost a mile of new track for trains to run on and over a mile of conductor rail to supply trains with electricity. 41 new track circuits, which tell signallers where trains are on the network, will be installed. The project has taken more than two years to plan and will take 12,000 man hours to complete.

Between Friday 10 and Sunday 19 April, all other services by SWR, GWR, CrossCountry and Southern are affected as follows:

  • SWR services between Woking/Guildford and Haslemere will be replaced by buses
  • SWR services between Guildford and Aldershot will be replaced by buses
  • GWR services between Reading and Gatwick Airport will run between Reading and Ash, with buses replacing services between North Camp and Guildford/Gatwick Airport
  • CrossCountry services from Newcastle to Guildford will terminate at Reading
  • Southern services for Guildford will start and finish at Epsom, with passengers required to transfer to SWR services to travel on to Guildford
  • SWR will run a limited service between London Waterloo and Guildford, via Cobham & Stoke D’ Abernon, from Tuesday 14 April.

Passengers should plan ahead and check before they travel with National Rail Enquiries or their train operator, as services are subject to changes and may take longer.

Mark Killick, Network Rail Wessex route director, said: “We would like to encourage passengers who travel through Guildford to plan ahead and check before they travel, as there will be a very limited number of services between Friday 10 and Sunday 19 April.

“We apologise for the disruption that our improvements will cause however this work is vital if we are to improve both the railway and train services in the area. Closing the line for 10 days will allow us to carry out much more work compared to a series of more limited weekend closures, which could take months.”

Alan Penlington, South Western Railway Customer Experience Director, said: “These crucial works will increase the reliability of train services that travel through Guildford and help reduce disruption in the future. I realise there is never a convenient time to close the railway, but Network Rail has chosen to carry out these works over the Easter holidays when passenger demand is typically lower.”

“I really appreciate the patience of our customers whilst the improvement works are carried out and I urge anyone who is traveling via Guildford over the Easter period to check before they travel.”

Notes to editors

  • As part of our multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, we’re working for you to allow trains to run more frequently, faster, and to improve the reliability of the rail network to reduce delays in the future.
  • Network Rail is investing over £2bn over the next five years to upgrade signalling, tracks, structures, embankments, stations and depots to give passengers in South West London, Surrey, Hampshire, Somerset better journeys with fewer delays.
  • Our timetables are planned 12 months in advance, and we schedule in the time needed for planned works to improve the rail network.
  • When we need to carry out planned engineering works, such as replacing tracks or upgrading signalling systems, we might need to close a section of track for 24 hours or longer to complete the upgrade work efficiently and safely.
  • Trains run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so there’s no time when the network isn’t being used, meaning works can cause some disruption for passengers and businesses.
  • We plan works for certain times, so they cause the least disruption to passengers such as on bank holidays, Sundays and overnight, when the network is less busy.