Island railway begins lengthy closures

Buses will replace trains throughout the closures

A railway line has closed entirely for a month, with partial closures for the next nine months.

The 8.5 mile (13.7km) Island Line on the Isle of Wight from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin has closed until 6 October for “vital maintenance” according to South Western Railway.

Ryde Pier has closed until May 2025 while “life extension work continues.”

Buses will replace trains throughout both closures.

Between Ryde Pier Head and Ryde Esplanade passengers will be taken by minibus along the pier to connect with ferries.

Once the month-long maintenance work is completed one train is expected to run ever half an hour between Ryde Esplanade and Shanklin from Monday 7 October to early May.

'Never a convenient time'

Tom McNamee, Network Rail Wessex Route infrastructure director, said extreme weather has contributed to the degradation of the railway line.

“We recognise there is never a convenient time to close the line, but we have waited to do so until after the important summer period and we would like to thank local residents, businesses and customers in advance for their patience and understanding while we complete this important work.” he said.

Mark Dunn, Island Line general manager, apologised to customers for the disruption and said: “It is vital that this wide range of work is completed to ensure that the Island Line can operate long into the future.

“Due to the complex nature of the repairs and refurbishments at Ryde Pier, which aims to give the historic structure a further 60 years of use, a further long-term closure is required."