Fareham and Havant to Portsmouth area improvement work

Our engineers are strengthening the railway infrastructure to keep trains running safely in the Portsmouth area


What are we doing between Monday 25 and Friday 29 May?

Between Monday 25 and Friday 29 May, we will be renewing the wheeltimbers on Portcreek Viaduct, following our work to strengthen the viaduct at the end of March. We will also be installing new tracks between Portcreek Viaduct and Moat Bridge.

In addition to this we will be:

  • Strengthening 5 bridges including St George’s Road, Moneyfields, Holbrook, Burrfields and St Mary’s
  • Continuing our renewal of Fratton station footbridge
  • Preparing for the Havant re-signalling project
  • Canopy cleaning at Platforms 1 and 2 at Portsmouth and Southsea

How will this work impact me? 

Buses will replace trains from Fareham and Havant to Portsmouth between Monday 25 and Friday 29 May while we carry out these works.

Our engineers will also be working around the clock, and we will be in touch with local communities to give details about our working hours closer to the time.

Why is the work needed? 

The wheeltimbers on Portcreek Viaduct are old and more prone to break or be damaged by fast trains running over the structure. As this viaduct carries trains into and out of Portsmouth, any problems on the structure can result in large delays for people wanting to travel into the city.

This was particularly evident on 13 March 2026 when a wheeltimber was damaged following an electrical burst from the rail that powers the trains. The damage meant that trains had to run slower over the viaduct for the safety of passengers and to not damage the wheeltimber any further.

Though we made a temporary fix, we need to renew the timbers to make sure the viaduct is more durable for passengers in future.

What did we do between 28 March and 2 April?

To find out more about what we completed in March 2026, take a look at the video below:

Get in touch 

For more information or to get in touch with us, please visit our contact us page, follow us on X (formally known as Twitter) or by calling our 24-hour national helpline on 03457 11 41 41.