Portsmouth Direct Line Works Start Tomorrow

Published on: 13 Feb, 2026
Updated on: 13 Feb, 2026

Class 701 Arterio electric multiple unit trains at London Waterloo Station. South Western Railway

Maintenance work affecting services on the Guildford to Portsmouth start tomorrow, February 14, and will continue until the 22nd.

During the school half-term holiday, engineers will be working on the railway between Petersfield and Havant, with additional impacts to services to and from Portsmouth Harbour and Guildford on alternative weekends.

Throughout the closure:

services will not run between Guildford and Havant from Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 February.
the railway will be closed between Petersfield and Havant from Saturday 14 to Sunday 22 February.
the closure extends between Havant and Portsmouth Harbour on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 February only).

During these dates buses will replace trains between these stations and journey times may be longer than usual.

During the February closure Network Rail intends to carry out a coordinated programme of essential work, including:

drainage improvements to help protect the railway from flooding
track renewals to maintain a smooth and reliable journey
signalling, power and telecoms work to support the safe operation of the route
follow-up activity after the commissioning of the Farncombe to Petersfield signalling upgrade

Following the completion of the February half-term works between Petersfield and Havant, Network Rail says it will return in the spring to continue planned improvements to key parts of the railway in the Portsmouth area. Further details will follow in due course.

Tom McNamee, infrastructure director for Network Rail Wessex and South Western Railway, said: “We’re continuing to invest in maintaining and renewing the Portsmouth Direct Line to support a safer and more reliable railway. This work builds on improvements already delivered and forms part of a longer programme of activity across the route.

“We know there is never a good time to close the railway and we’re sorry for the disruption this will cause. By carrying out this work during the school half-term, when passenger numbers are typically lower, we can complete a significant amount of essential work more efficiently and reduce the need for repeated closures later on.”

Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check the latest travel advice before travelling at:
www.networkrail.co.uk/PortsmouthDirectHalfTermWorks