From tomorrow until Friday 21st February 2025, parts of the railway between Portsmouth and Havant and Fareham will be closed while Network Rail completes critical engineering upgrades to the railway.
During the seven-day line closure, Network Rail engineers will be working around the clock to upgrade the railway in the Portsmouth area across a number of different worksites, including:
- At Portcreek Junction, engineers will lay 390m of new track and 450m of conductor rail (the part of the track that provides power to the trains), and replace two sets of points -moveable sections of track that allow trains to move from one line to another.
- At Landport Viaduct, which supports the trains at Portsmouth & Southsea station, the wheel timbers (long blocks that supports track across a bridge) will be replaced with a synthetic alternative (Fibre-reinforced Foamed Urethane) that will last 30 years longer than the current wooden versions and will require less maintenance.
- At Bedhampton, new track will be laid and ballast installed at the level crossing, which will also be given a fresh lick of paint.
- Between Quay Viaduct, Fareham and Portchester sub-station, a number of dead, diseased and dangerous trees will be removed to reduce leaf fall onto the railway and help keep trains running safely and on time.
- Fratton footbridge will be also refurbished to bring it up to modern loading standards, with scaffolding erected to allow engineers to work on the exterior elevations of the structure including painting the underside of the bridge.
These upgrades and specifically the replacement of new track will help reduce the need for temporary speed restrictions and boost the reliability of the railway in this area, making for smoother, quieter, more comfortable and reliable journeys for passengers in the future.
Mark Goodall, Network Rail’s Wessex Route Director, said:
"Our engineers will be working across a number of worksites to complete a range of really important upgrades that, once complete, will make for more reliable and enjoyable journeys for the many passengers who travel on this busy and critical part of the rail network.”
Image and Video Credit: Network Rail
