Covid: Isle of Wight rail overhaul delayed by pandemic

The new trains were in service on the London Underground's District Line until 2002

Work to overhaul the Isle of Wight railway line has been delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

South Western Railway (SWR) said the Covid-19 pandemic had led to "unforeseen challenges" for the £26m Island Line project.

The track and platform upgrades between Shanklin and Ryde Esplanade began in January and were expected to take three months.

SWR said the line closure would last about six weeks longer than planned.

Its existing trains, which date from 1938, are also being replaced with five refurbished London Underground trains from the District Line.

SWR said the rise in coronavirus cases around the country meant staff throughout the supply chain needed to isolate, which had set back the whole project.

Work on the new class 484 trains has also been affected with the number of engineers able to work on the carriages at any one time being significantly reduced.

A statement said: "Planning for the project began well before the pandemic and although mitigations have reduced the impact of Covid-19, the unpredictable nature of the virus and the associated restrictions mean there is a risk more time may be needed before the line can be reopened."

A replacement bus services continues to operate between Shanklin and Ryde Esplanade, although the numbers of passengers has dropped substantially during the lockdown.

One of the refurbished former London Underground trains arrived by ferry at Fishbourne at the end of last year

The track upgrade will include a new passing loop at Brading to allow trains to run half-hourly to Ryde pier to connect with Portsmouth ferry services.

The new trains incorporate 40-year-old body shells but have been refitted with new parts.

The existing trains, built for the underground system in 1938, have operated since the late 1980s and one of them is going to be preserved at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

The upgrades are being paid for by the Department for Transport, with £1m for the passing loop coming jointly from Isle of Wight Council and Solent Local Enterprise Partnership.

The previous fleet of trains were built back in 1938 for the London Underground network before starting service on the Isle of Wight in 1989