Rail passengers across Hampshire and parts of south west London are being urged to plan ahead this Easter, with major engineering work set to significantly impact services in Southampton, Portsmouth and Bournemouth from Saturday 12 to Sunday 20 April 2025.
Network Rail will carry out essential safety and maintenance work along key stretches of the Wessex route, including stabilisation of a landslip-prone cutting between Swanwick and Fareham. The works are part of a £86 million national Easter engineering programme involving more than 300 upgrade projects.
What’s Happening?
Key highlights of the nine-day south coast closure include:
- Stabilising the cutting between Swanwick and Fareham with sheet piling and rock strengthening
- Strengthening Hamble station footbridge
- Vegetation clearance to reduce future disruption from falling trees
- Replacing life-expired wooden wheel timbers on the River Itchen viaduct near St Deny’s with longer-lasting synthetic alternatives
- Routine rail maintenance such as lubrication and testing to ensure smoother journeys
How Will Services Be Affected?
Train services across the wider Southampton, Bournemouth, Portsmouth, and Fareham area will be replaced by buses, with significant changes each day:
🔧 Saturday 12 April
- Buses replace trains: Eastleigh ↔ Southampton Central, and Southampton Central ↔ Fareham
- Service changes to Bournemouth, Poole, Salisbury and Weymouth
🧰 Sunday 13 April
- Buses replace trains: Southampton Central ↔ Bournemouth, Eastleigh ↔ Fareham, Brockenhurst ↔ Lymington Pier
🚧 Monday 14 – Friday 18 April (Good Friday)
- Buses replace all trains: Southampton Central ↔ Fareham (calling all stations)
🛠 Saturday 19 April (Easter Saturday)
- Buses replace trains: Southampton Central ↔ Fareham, Southampton ↔ Bournemouth, Brockenhurst ↔ Lymington Pier, Romsey ↔ Southampton Central (via Redbridge)
🚍 Sunday 20 April (Easter Sunday)
- Buses replace trains: Eastleigh ↔ Bournemouth, Brockenhurst ↔ Lymington Pier, Romsey ↔ Southampton Central (via Redbridge), Southampton Central ↔ Fareham
📅 Monday 21 April (Easter Monday)
- All lines reopen, but Sunday (Bank Holiday) timetables in operation
Twickenham–Teddington Closure
Elsewhere, switch and crossing upgrades will see trains replaced by buses between Twickenham and Teddington via Strawberry Hill from 19–21 April, affecting services in south west London.
What Operators Are Saying:
Mark Goodall, Route Director for Network Rail Wessex:
“We understand that shutting down such a large stretch of railway will cause disruption. By doing this over nine consecutive days during school holidays, we minimise long-term inconvenience and deliver more in less time.”
Peter Williams, South Western Railway:
“We’re advising customers to plan ahead and allow more time as replacement buses will be in operation on several routes. These vital works will lead to better journeys in the future.”
Jenny Saunders, Southern Railway:
“We’ll have staff on hand and encourage passengers to check journey planners before travelling. Thank you for your patience as we carry out this important work.”
📍 Passengers are urged to check before travelling via National Rail Enquiries, South Western Railway, or Southern journey planners.
🛑 Expect longer journey times and multiple changes if travelling between 12–20 April across the south coast.
