Victorious Festival: Train journeys into Portsmouth could be delayed due to railway work, Network Rail warns
FESTIVAL-goers and those seeking to travel by train to Portsmouth are being warned there could be delays to railway services in the area this weekend.
Network Rail is urging passengers to check before they travel on trains this bank holiday weekend.
The news comes as tens of thousands of revellers are expected to descend upon Southsea to attend the Victorious Festival.
Although the majority of the railway network is open, there will be some line closures between Saturday and Monday.
The closures include the lines between Eastleigh and Fareham on Saturday and Sunday, with replacement buses planned.
Other closures include the lines between Aldershot and Alton, Guildford and Leatherhead/Surbiton, in Surrey and Hounslow and Windsor / Virginia Water in London.
Mark Killick, Network Rail Wessex route director, said: ‘We’re working hard to improve our railway across the region and while I know it’s frustrating when we work on weekends and bank holidays, it all helps us to run a more reliable railway.
‘Investment such as the £375m new signalling we’re installing around Feltham will last for years and reduce delays for our customers.
‘I’d encourage people to check before they travel this coming weekend as there may be changes to train times. We can’t guarantee the weather will be good, but our main routes to the coast will be open so people can head out and enjoy a few days off.’
Work includes tunnel maintenance between Eastleigh and Fareham, re-signalling works from Hounslow to Virginia Water, track renewal between Surbiton, Leatherhead and Guildford and between Aldershot and Alton, Network Rail is renewing conductor rails to improve electrical supplies to trains, and carrying out track maintenance to improve track quality and provide smoother journeys.
Passengers can check their journeys before travelling either through the South Western Railway or National Rail enquiries websites.
Christian Neill, customer experience director for South Western Railway, added: ‘We know that customers will be eager to enjoy the August bank holiday weekend, so we strongly advise customers to check before they travel in case their journeys are affected by planned improvements to our network.
‘Journey planners have been updated and we encourage customers impacted to make use of the rail replacement services provided.’