From Saturday, 22nd until Friday, 28th March, there will be no South Western Railway train services between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside while Network Rail carries out vital track improvements.

The closure of the line will allow Network Rail engineers to lay over 700 metres of new track on the 174-year-old Black Potts railway bridge over the River Thames near Windsor Castle.

Passengers should plan ahead and take note of the latest information at www.nationalrail.co.uk

Work will also be carried out to widen one side of the pedestrian walkway at May’s Level Crossing in Datchet.

Work will also be carried out over the weekend of Saturday 22nd/Sunday 23rd March in various other locations around Staines-upon-Thames, including:

• Between Staines and Egham and from Staines to Ascot and Woking for track upgrades and maintenance.
• Near Addlestone, for structural repairs to the bridge over the River Wey.
• In the Feltham area, to install new sleepers.
• A South Western Railway spokesperson apologised for the disruption that this will cause and is very grateful for our customers’ patience. Customers intending to travel on the affected routes should plan ahead and be aware of the replacement of trains by buses.

Service alterations

Saturday, 22nd March

• No train services between Hounslow and Windsor & Eton Riverside, and Hounslow and Virginia Water, with rail-replacement bus services in operation

Sunday 23 March

• No train services between Hounslow and Windsor & Eton Riverside, with rail-replacement bus services in operation.
• No train services between Hounslow and Ascot and Hounslow and Woking, with rail-replacement bus services in operation.

Monday, 24th until Friday, 28th March

• No train services between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside, with rail-replacement bus services in operation.

“We know that closing this large stretch of railway to the southwest of London will be disruptive and we would like to apologise to passengers for the inconvenience this work will cause. We started work on this project in 2023 to renew the railway in the Windsor area and this work will allow passengers to enjoy smoother and more reliable journeys for years to come.”

Mark Goodall, Network Rail’s Wessex Route Director