First weekend of upgrades at Guildford station have been completed

Network Rail has completed the first of several track upgrades at Guildford, one of the busiest stations in the south of England.

Large sections of track at Guildford station were removed and replaced

Guildford’s 8.2 million passengers will soon benefit from a more reliable railway after the work has taken place in April and May. Part of Network Rail’s Railway Upgrade Plan, this investment will cost £800,000 and the first phase of work to be completed was the replacement of two sets of switches and crossings (which allow trains to move between tracks) as well as 45 metres of track (see below for a video of the some of work that took place).

The lines through Guildford are used heavily by services connecting Waterloo to the south coast, and services from Reading to Gatwick Airport. Replacement bus services will be in operation while the work is being carried out.

After having the opportunity to see the first phase of work at Guildford, Councillor Paul Spooner commented: “It was fascinating to see the skill and level of work being undertaken and it certainly helps to understand the importance to the network of the Railway Upgrade Plan.”

The next phase of work will happen on 8-9 April, with further work taking place on 30 April and 21 May.