Network Rail advises Poole passengers to Check Before You Travel ahead of Easter upgrade work

Route: Wessex

Passengers planning to travel between Poole and Wareham over the Easter bank holiday weekend (14-17 April) , or the weekend of the 22 & 23 April, are being advised to check before they travel while Network Rail upgrades the railway’s sea defences in Holes Bay, Poole Harbour.

Network Rail is investing over £1 million in the railway in Poole over two weekends
Passenger numbers drop by up to 50% over the Easter weekend
2,000 person hours working on the railway at Poole

The £1 million investment will see Network Rail’s orange army working around the clock over the two weekends, including on Good Friday and Easter Monday, to repair key sections of the sea defences that have been worn away by tidal erosion and to fill in voids that this has caused.

During the two weekends, bus replacement services will be in operation between Poole and Wareham, while a revised train service will operate between Wareham and Weymouth. A revised service between Waterloo and Poole will also operate.

Becky Lumlock, route managing director at Network Rail, said: “The work at Holes Bay is a key part of our Railway Upgrade Plan, which is making sure that we continue to provide passengers with a safe, reliable and resilient railway.

“While there’s never a good time to close the railway, bank holiday weekends provide us with an extended period to get significant pieces of work done, such as at Holes Bay, when passenger numbers drop by up to 50%. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out our work and remind them to check their journeys in advance to see how they may be affected.”

Adam Piddington, customer service director for South West Trains, said: “These works between Poole and Wareham are designed to maintain the important sea defences in the area and will help to reduce potential delays caused by severe weather.

“We would advise our passengers to plan their journeys well ahead whilst the works are taking place and check before they travel.”

Passengers can check their journeys online at nationalrail.co.uk