Planned upgrades to railway lines in and around Southampton are set to cancel services for 6 days, between the 13th February and 19th February. Works will also put a halt to some railway services on the 30th and 31st January. A bus replacement service will be operating in these periods.
The works are aimed at making the line able to accommodate longer freight trains, which is intended to free up capacity in a very busy part of the freight network. Network Rail claims that increasing the amount of freight transported by train will decrease the numbers of lorries needed. This, they say, will help cut down on carbon emissions.
Closures will be as follows:
- 30th January: Southampton Airport parkway to Brockenhurst and Romsey.
- 31st January: Eastleigh to Brockenhurst, and Romsey to Redbridge, Brockenhurst to Bournemouth, St Denys to Fareham.
- 13th-14th February: Eastleigh to Brockenhurst, Romsey to Redbridge, St Denys to Woolston
- 15th-19th January: Southampton Central to Brockenhurst and Romsey.
The works are the latest instalment of a series of improvements that began in October 2020, and will fit the signalling systems required to ensure the line functions properly
