From Saturday 19th August to Friday 1st September, buses will replace South Western Railway (SWR) trains during a three-part closure of the railway between Barnes and Virginia Water, Windsor & Eton Riverside and Hounslow.
The closure is to allow newly installed signals to be switched on.
(c) Network Rail
Starting this Saturday (19th August), Network Rail engineers will work around the clock for 14 consecutive days to switch on the 116 new digital signals installed across parts of the railway in southwest London and Berkshire and finish upgrading seven level crossings during this multistage closure.
The existing system is controlled by the Feltham Area Signalling Centre and the current signals and track circuits – which tell signallers where trains are on the network – date back to 1974 and need upgrading as they have become less reliable and harder to maintain.
Following the switching on of the new signals, passengers will benefit from more reliable journeys and fewer delays on the Windsor Lines which are a key route for commuters in and out of London.
Control of this part of the railway will be moved to the Basingstoke Rail Operating Centre, a purpose-built rail hub that is shared with SWR.
A four-year upgrade to improve reliability
Over the past four years, as part of the wider Feltham and Wokingham re-signalling programme, Network Rail’s engineers have installed 116 digital signals, 11km of new cabling housed in 14km of refurbished cable ducts, 27 new under-track cable routes to support the new technology, and upgraded seven level crossings.
The Feltham and Wokingham re-signalling programme will be concluded in early 2024 with the completion of upgrades to key signalling equipment controlled by the Feltham Area Signalling Centre and Wokingham Signal Box, which jointly cover 80 miles of railway and 500 separate pieces of signalling equipment. A total of 13 level crossings will also have been renewed or upgraded, all with the aim of improving train performance and ensuring passengers enjoy more reliable journeys.
Changes to train services
The work this August is being undertaken in three parts with the following stretches of the railway closed:
- Sat 19 to Sun 20 August inclusive – Staines to Virginia Water
- Mon 21 to Sat 26 August inclusive – Staines to Windsor & Eton Riverside
- Sun 27 August to Friday 1 Sept inclusive – Barnes to Virginia Water/ Windsor & Eton Riverside and Hounslow
Passengers are advised to check before they travel using journey planners, which are now up to date.
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