Emergency landslip works to disrupt rail journeys

Large cracks have been found in a slope next to the track

Train passengers are being advised to avoid travelling next week due to emergency works to repair a landslip.

Services will be significantly reduced between Woking and Basingstoke from Friday 8 December to Sunday 10 December - affecting routes to Salisbury, Southampton and Bournemouth - Network Rail said.

It follows the discovery of cracks of up to 45m (148ft) long and 1m (3ft) deep in places in a slope next to the railway near Woking.

Network Rail's Wessex route director Matt Pocock said the work was "imperative" to prevent future delays.

He also said next week had been identified as the least disruptive time for the works as a result of industrial action.

Train drivers represented by the union Aslef will strike on Wednesday 6 December, and then stage an overtime ban on Thursday 7 December.

"We have worked closely with our colleagues at [South Western Railway] to identify the least disruptive time to do [the work] and next week provides an opportunity with industrial action reducing the number of services that will be in operation," said Mr Pocock.

Only two tracks out of four will be in use during the work

Tiny sensors in the ground detected movement in the slope next to the St John’s Hill Road overbridge between Brookwood and Woking in Surrey.

Experts then found cracks - some of which were 50cm wide.

It is the second time this year the main line between Southampton and London has been affected by a landslip.

In January, an embankment collapsed near Hook, closing the line completely for several days and disrupting services for two weeks.

Analysis by Paul Clifton, BBC South Transport Correspondent

Infrastructure failures like this are becoming more frequent, especially on the 6,000 clay embankments along the railway in southern England.

Geotechnical engineers point to a changing climate, with more intense winter rainfall affecting the clay.

Network Rail has said that budget constraints mean less money for maintenance work over the next five years.

While work to stabilise the ground takes place, the stretch of railway will reduce from four tracks to two.

Instead of 16 trains an hour each way past the landslip, there will only be three.

Before the work begins, a 20mph speed limit is in place.

Passengers should check the South Western Railway journey planner on Sunday for more information, the company said.