Portsmouth and Portcreek area improvement work
Our engineers worked during the February Half Term to improve journeys in the Portsmouth area.
What work took place?
From Saturday 15 to Friday 21 February 2025, parts of the railway between Portsmouth and Havant and Fareham were closed and rail replacement buses were in operation. During the 7-day closure, our teams worked round the clock to upgrade the railway in the Portsmouth area. This work included track works, wheel timber renewals and resignalling work.
When did the work take place?
The work took place from Saturday 15 to Friday 21 February 2025, which meant parts of the railway between Portsmouth Havant and Fareham were closed and rail replacement buses were in operation. During the closure we carried out the following:
- At Portcreek Junction, engineers installed 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 Bedhampton, new track was laid and ballast installed at the level crossing, as well as giving it a fresh lick of paint.
- Between Quay Viaduct, Fareham and Portchester sub-station, a number of dead, diseased and dangerous trees were removed to reduce leaf fall onto the railway and help keep trains running safely and on time.
- Fratton footbridge was 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.
Why was the work needed?
This work will improve journeys for passengers. By replacing key sections of track we can avoid temporary speed restrictions and keep services on time. Our work will boost the railways reliability and performance and reduce delays caused by infrastructure failings.
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