Train passengers face significant disruption over Christmas and New Year as Network Rail begins engineering works on the South West Main Line.

The upgrade works will take place between Sunday 15 December and Sunday 5 January, impacting travel between Basingstoke and Woking.

As a result, South Western Railway (SWR) services will be altered, diverted, or significantly delayed throughout the festive period.

Passengers are urged to plan ahead as replacement bus services will be used when the lines are closed.

Journeys between London Waterloo and Southampton Central, Poole, and Weymouth will be diverted via Guildford, adding around 45 minutes to travel times. There will be no direct services between London Waterloo, Salisbury, and Exeter St Davids.

Services to and from London Waterloo, including routes to Alton, Guildford, and Portsmouth Harbour, will also be affected.

Mark Goodall, Wessex route director at Network Rail, said: "We understand the disruption these works will cause, but once completed, they will result in smoother and more reliable journeys for our passengers.

“The festive period presents a good opportunity to complete such complex upgrades, as we know passenger numbers are lower and the railway is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding."

Peter Williams, customer and commercial director at South Western Railway, said: "We urge passengers to plan their journeys carefully and check for updates before they travel. We apologise for the inconvenience this essential work will cause and thank our customers for their continued patience."

The dates when replacement bus services will be in place are:

Engineers will be renewing switches and crossings at Pirbright Junction, where the line to Aldershot branches off the South West Main Line. This critical work aims to improve track reliability.

In addition to replacing the equipment that allows trains to change tracks, teams will be strengthening embankments in the area to reduce the risk of landslips.

Tampers will be used to compact the track ballast between Hook and Farnborough, while improvements to drainage systems between Brookwood and Farnborough will help prevent flooding near the Basingstoke Canal.

Network Rail reminded passengers that there will be no train or bus services on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

For more details on how the engineering works will affect specific journeys, passengers can visit www.southwesternrailway.com/woking-christmas