South Western Railway has announced engineering work will affect journeys to Guildford, Farnham and Alton over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Engineering work will affect South Western Railway services to Farnham and Alton between Saturday, August 29 and Monday, August 31.

During these dates, SWR and NR Wessex engineers will carry out a range of work to keep trains running reliably.

Over the River Mole, between Bookham and Leatherhead, they will replace wheel timbers, large wooden blocks that carry rails over bridges, which will help keep services moving on time.

Buses will replace Guildford-Farnham and Alton-Farnham services, while some other services will be revised.

On the line between Surbiton and Guildford, engineers will improve the railway’s resilience to flooding by performing drainage refurbishment at Effingham Junction.

On the Alton line, teams will tamp the ballast under the tracks to keep rails at an even level and ensure smoother and safer journeys for customers. At Alton station, teams will also carry out repairs to the canopy on platform 2.

This programme of work has been scheduled for the August Bank Holiday weekend, when fewer customers typically travel, helping SWR to minimise disruption while maintaining and improving the railway.

Thomas Desmond, operations director for South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, said: “We’re grateful to our customers for their patience while we carry out engineering work over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

“These upgrades are an important investment in the railway's future, helping to improve reliability, reduce the likelihood of disruption and ensure that we continue to provide a safe and dependable service for our customers.

“Most of our network will remain open, but some journeys on routes serving Guildford and Alton will be affected. Customers can find out more on our website, where they can also check their journey before travelling.”