South Western Railway (SWR) is urging passengers to plan their journeys carefully this weekend as extensive engineering works will cause major disruption across its suburban network. Significant service revisions and cancellations are expected, particularly affecting routes between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction.
Key Closures and Station Impact
The engineering works, scheduled for Saturday, January 31, and Sunday, February 1, will involve the closure of some lines between London Waterloo and Clapham Junction. Notably, Queenstown Road station in Battersea will be completely closed throughout the weekend. These closures form part of ongoing track, signalling, and electrical supply improvements that began over the Christmas and New Year period.
Saturday Service Changes
On Saturday, several key services will be altered. Trains between London Waterloo and Reading, Weybridge via Staines, Windsor & Eton Riverside, and London Waterloo via Richmond and Wimbledon will all start and terminate at Clapham Junction instead of their usual destinations. Additionally, stopping services between London Waterloo, Basingstoke, and Salisbury will operate with revised stopping patterns.
Sunday Service Changes
Sunday will see further extensive changes. Services between London Waterloo and Reading, Weybridge via Staines, Windsor & Eton Riverside, Woking via Staines, and Wimbledon will again start and finish at Clapham Junction. Afternoon and evening services on routes such as London Waterloo to Kingston via Hounslow, Portsmouth via Eastleigh, and Poole will not run at all.
Other specific alterations include services between London Waterloo and Chessington South starting and finishing at Wimbledon, Exeter services terminating at Basingstoke, Hampton Court services ending at Surbiton, and Dorking services being cancelled entirely. Passengers for Dorking are advised to consider alternative Southern services from Clapham Junction or Epsom.
Revised Stopping Patterns and Long-Distance Impact
Several routes will operate with altered stopping patterns, including services between London Waterloo and Eastleigh, Guildford, Shepperton, Portsmouth Harbour, and Woking. SWR's long-distance network will also be significantly affected, with services between London Waterloo and Alton, Basingstoke, Poole, Portsmouth Harbour, Reading, and Salisbury either not running or operating on revised timetables.
Separate engineering work between Farnham and Alton will additionally impact services between London Waterloo and Alton on both days of the weekend.
Official Advice for Passengers
Peter Williams, South Western Railway’s customer and commercial director, apologised for the disruption, stating: "We’re sorry for the disruption that customers may experience this weekend. It's important customers plan their journeys carefully and allow extra time to complete them, as some services will be revised with changes to calling patterns." He added that once the maintenance is complete, customers can expect fewer delays and a more reliable railway.
SWR recommends that passengers use the journey planner on their official website to check how specific services are affected and to plan alternative routes accordingly.
