Rail lines west of Southampton to shut for freight terminal work

Services on the lines between Southampton and Bournemouth and Salisbury will be closed to passenger trains.

Rail passengers face a week of disruption as work is carried out to allow longer freight trains into Southampton docks.

The biggest rail freight terminal at the docks is being extended to take trains up to 775m (2,500ft) in length.

The lines to Bournemouth and Salisbury will be closed to passenger trains from Saturday until 19 February.

Bus replacement services will operate and some services will be diverted during the closures.

Network Rail said the work would help provide an alternative to lorries for moving goods in and out of the docks.

The work will allow longer trains to be accommodated at the docks

About 800 containers pass through the Freightliner Maritime Terminal at Redbridge each day.

The two-year-long project has already seen new sidings and junctions built, while signalling needs to be changed across a wide area.

Network Rail project leader Lucy Phipps said: "The blockade is needed to allow the commissioning and testing activities to ensure the new infrastructure 'speaks' to the existing infrastructure.

"Every additional unit on these freight trains is the equivalent of taking one heavy goods vehicle off the road network so obviously generates massive environmental benefits for the local community."