It isn’t exactly an outrageous suggestion to say that the British rail network is old and in need of constant repairs. Although we all know that and, reluctantly, accept it, it doesn’t mean that we aren’t put out when the work that is being carried out has an impact on our lives.
That is what those hoping to travel between Guildford and Portsmouth Harbour, amongst other areas, are likely to suffer from as essential engineering work is carried out on the line during February. The good news is that it isn’t every day, instead being limited to every other weekend and only during the half-term, which is when passenger numbers tend to be lower.
What Are These “Essential Engineering Works”?
Many of us have come to accept the closure of railway lines as part of life living in Britain. In terms of being able to temper our annoyance at the inconvenience, however, it helps to know why it is that our lives are being disrupted. In the case of the ‘essential engineering work’ that is being carried out on the Portsmouth line in February, Network Rail have been reasonably clear in what it is that they’re going to be doing. The first thing that will be happening is an improvement to the drainage in the area, which will try to ensure that the line is protected from flooding in the future; ideally timed considering the recent bad weather.
The track in the area is in need of being renewed, which will be carried out during the same period as additional signalling. Whilst the line is closed, Network Rail will take advantage of the opportunity in order to do some power and telecoms work, along with some follow-up activity. That is necessary after the signalling upgrade that was commissioned recently between Farncombe and Petersfield. It is obviously crucial that such tests are carried out when there aren’t any commuter trains on the line, so doing it when the section of railway is being closed for other reasons anyway is seen as the ideal opportunity.
When the Closures Are Happening
Network Rail are obviously aware of the fact that people don’t want a line to be shut for overly long periods of time, so they’re doing what they can to limit the interruptions to people’s lives. The short answer is that the line will endure its closures during the February half-time. Of course, this isn’t useful to everyone, so it is worth going into a bit more detail. The organisation is looking to work on the line between Petersfield and Havant, with services to and from Portsmouth Harbour and Guildford also impacted. That includes the stop in Haslemere, with the closures taking place on alternate weekends throughout the period in question.
In terms of more precise information, the line between Petersfield and Havant will be closed from Saturday the 14th of February until Sunday the 22nd of February. On Saturday the 14th and Sunday the 15th of February, this closure will also extend to mean that it is closed between Havant and Portsmouth Harbour. The following weekend of Saturday the 21st and Sunday the 22nd of February, the service will not run between Guildford and Havant. Once this period of work is carried out, Network Rail will then wait until the spring before returning to carry out planned improvements on key parts of the line around Portsmouth.
What Network Rail Have Said About the Closure
There will be understandable moans and groans from those of you that use this line, knowing that you will have to find alternate routes during the period of time in question. As a result, the Infrastructure Director for Network Rail Wessex and South Western Railway, Tom McNamee, has spoken about the planned work to give people some reassurance over what is happening and why it is taking place. He said, “We’re continuing to invest in maintaining and renewing the Portsmouth Direct Line to support a safer and more reliable railway. This work builds on improvements already delivered and forms part of a longer programme of activity across the route.”
Although the words are slightly reassuring to those wondering what the point of it all is, McNamee has also looked to touch on the precise timing of the line closures. He went on, “We know there is never a good time to close the railway, and we’re sorry for the disruption this will cause. By carrying out this work during the school half-term, when passenger numbers are typically lower, we can complete a significant amount of essential work more efficiently and reduce the need for repeated closures later on.” It is the latter point that will be music to the ears of Surrey residents hoping to avoid such closures in the future.
Rail Replacement Buses
If ‘planned engineering work’ are some of the least enjoyable words to hear when it comes to railways, ‘rail replacement buses’ are likely to be a close second. Whilst it is unquestionably an irritant for those that have no choice but to take Network Rail up on the presence of the rail replacement service, it does mean that those that don’t have to take the journey can instead look at alternative routes to get them where they need to go. Of course, if that isn’t an option that you have available to you, you will instead be keen to know how best to go about planning your journey during the weekends in question.
The rail replacement bus service will look to call at all of the stations that are on the routes that the trains aren’t able to serve. This means that you will be able to pick up the service regardless of which station it is that you’re travelling from. The bad news, though, is that you will need to add extra time into your journey. Whereas the train can zip along the track between stations, the bus has to follow the roads around the local area. This can often mean being caught up in traffic jams, or simply taking much longer than would be the case on the train. Passengers are advised to add this additional journey time into their planning.