- Major engineering work set to close the line between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside from Saturday 11 to Sunday 19 February
- On Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 the line between Hounslow and Virginia Water will also close
- Customers should check before travelling and allow extra time to complete their journeys, with buses replacing trains and service alterations in place
SOUTH Western Railway (SWR) is advising customers to check before travelling, and allow extra time to complete their journeys, with the line between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside closing from Saturday 11 to Sunday 19 February.
The closure will also affect the line from Hounslow to Virginia Water on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19, as Network Rail engineers continue a major resignalling project.
Customers are advised that:
- Buses will replace trains between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside throughout
- Buses will replace trains between Hounslow, Windsor & Eton Riverside and Virginia Water on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19
- Buses will also replace trains between Hounslow and Weybridge on Sunday 19
Stuart Meek, Chief Operating Officer for South Western Railway, said:
“It’s really important that customers check before they travel, and allow extra time to complete their journeys, as buses are replacing trains between Windsor and Staines for nine days as well as Hounslow and Virginia Water for the final two days.
"Making decisions to close parts of the network is really difficult because we know how inconvenient it can be for customers, but giving Network Rail this access can make the railway more reliable and help avoid day-to-day disruption.”
Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Wessex Route Director, said:
“It’s really great to see phase three and four of this huge resignalling project taking place. The current signalling system dates back to the early 1970s and during a long-term programme we’ve been modernising it to improve reliability across the Southern region.
“We’re aware that Wessex route can sometimes be one of the worst affected in terms of signalling issues and completing this work will help prevent those incidents and will allow us to increase capacity for trains with fewer delays, improved safety and lower running costs.
“We’d like to thank customers for their patience and bearing with us.”
The closure between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside is one of three across the SWR network between Saturday 11 and Sunday 19 February, with Network Rail carrying out resignalling work between Reading and Bracknell, and between Guildford and Petersfield, at the same time.
Customers are advised to visit southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey for more information on engineering work during February.
Additional information:
Rail replacement bus services are as follows:
Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February
2 buses per hour Staines to Windsor & Eton Riverside – calling at Wraysbury, Sunnymeads and Datchet
Monday 13 to Friday 17 February
- 2 buses per hour Staines to Windsor & Eton Riverside – calling at Wraysbury, Sunnymeads and Datchet
- 2 buses per hour Staines to Windsor & Eton Riverside – direct service
Saturday 18 February
- 2 buses per hour Hounslow to Windsor & Eton Riverside – calling at Feltham, Ashford, Staines, Wraysbury, Sunnymeads and Datchet
- 2 buses per hour Hounslow to Windsor & Eton Riverside – calling at Feltham and Staines.
- 2 buses per hour Hounslow to Virginia Water – calling at Feltham, Staines and Egham
- 2 buses per hour Hounslow to Virginia Water – calling at Feltham, Ashford, Staines and Egham.
Sunday 19 February
- 1 bus per hour Hounslow to Windsor & Eton Riverside – calling at Feltham, Ashford, Staines, Wraysbury, Sunnymeads and Datchet.
- 1 bus per hour Hounslow to Windsor & Eton Riverside – calling at Feltham, Ashford, Staines and Datchet.
- 2 buses per hour Hounslow to Virginia Water – calling at Feltham, Staines and Egham.
- 1 bus per hour Hounslow to Weybridge – calling at Feltham, Ashford, Staines, Egham, Virginia Water, Chertsey and Addlestone.
