No direct trains to London from Salisbury on Sunday and Monday

Friday, 2 May 2025 06:05

Buses will replace trains in the Basingstoke area over the early May Bank Holiday Weekend (Sunday 4th and Monday 5th May) while Network Rail completes essential track improvements.

Over the two-day closure, Network Rail’s engineers will be replacing the track that runs through Platform 4 at Basingstoke station as well as between Fleet and Farnborough stations. At Farnborough, the ‘third’ electric rail will also be renewed.

Alongside this, engineers will complete a range of other work including improving how the electric current is fed to the railway west of Basingstoke; testing and commissioning new power cables between Winchester and Worting Junction, where the main line from London splits with services heading towards Salisbury and Southampton; and strengthening the embankment new Hook. Teams will be carrying track replacement and embankment stabilisation in the Bramley area.

Engineers will also be removing 220 tonnes worth of scrap material from the railway to be recycled.

SWR Services passing through Salisbury from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids will, instead, start at Andover.

Mark Goodall, Wessex Route Director for Network Rail, said: “We appreciate that these closures, especially in an area such as Basingstoke, are incredibly inconvenient to passengers and we apologise for the inconvenience this will cause.

“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.”

A South Western Railway spokesperson said: “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.”