Engineers are returning to Portsmouth on Saturday (15th January) to finish strengthening Landport Viaduct, one of the city’s most prominent Victorian railway structures.
The 1876-built metal viaduct, which supports two platforms at Portsmouth and Southsea station, had ten of its seventeen spans strengthened in January 2021.
The remaining seven spans will now be strengthened during an eight-day closure between Portsmouth and Southsea and Portsmouth Harbour, affecting South Western Railway (SWR), Great Western Railway (GWR) and Southern services.
Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said,
“Our long-term project to strengthen the viaduct at Portsmouth and Southsea station is almost complete and this last eight-day closure will allow our engineers to improve the structure’s steelwork and keep trains running through to Portsmouth Harbour for years to come.
“It’s just not possible to do this level of work on the viaduct with trains still running but I appreciate it’s hard for people who rely on the railway and we’re very grateful for their patience with us. Customers should plan ahead next week if they can, as buses will replace trains and some journeys will take longer than normal.”
Important dates
All this means some important dates and changes for customers to have in their diaries:
- From Saturday 15th to Saturday 22nd January, buses will replace trains from Fratton and Portsmouth & Southsea to Portsmouth Harbour.
- On Sunday 23rd, buses will replace trains from Havant and Fareham to Portsmouth Harbour.
- On the weekends of Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th, plus Saturday 22nd and Sunday 23rd, services between London Waterloo and Portsmouth and Southsea will be diverted via Chertsey, with journeys taking longer than normal.
Neill: Thank you to passengers for their patience and understanding
Christian Neill, SWR’s Customer Experience Director, said,
“The improvement work planned in the Portsmouth area in early January will mean a more resilient service for our customers as well as strengthening this important piece of Victorian railway engineering for years to come.
“Closing the railway during the working week and at the weekend will, of course, inconvenience our customers and I’d like to thank anyone traveling with us during these works for their patience and understanding.”
With the viaduct fully strengthened, trains will be able to continue running at full line speed through Portsmouth and Southsea, keeping services on time.
News shared by Chris Denham on behalf of Network Rail, in his own words. Ed
