Train passengers are set to benefit from one of the biggest ever investments on the Portsmouth Direct Line, following a £129 million signalling upgrade completed between Farncombe and Petersfield.

The work marks the tenth anniversary of Network Rail’s Basingstoke Rail Operating Centre (ROC), which now controls signalling on services between Farncombe and Petersfield as part of its expanding role across the Wessex route.

The modernisation transfers control from several ageing signal boxes to the state-of-the-art ROC, improving reliability and resilience for passengers travelling between Portsmouth and London.

During a nine-day closure between Guildford and Havant, engineers tested 90 new signals and commissioned 17 new signalling equipment buildings.

Nine level crossings along the route were also upgraded, with the final site at Farncombe West due for completion on Wednesday, November 13.

The upgrades include new CCTV and obstacle-detection technology to improve safety for road users and give signallers clearer visibility of the line. Two footpath crossings were also improved to provide safer access for local users.

Tom Desmond, operations director for Network Rail and South Western Railway, said the project was part of a major programme of improvements on the Portsmouth Direct Line.

“Since early 2022, we’ve been delivering a major programme of upgrades along the Portsmouth Direct Line,” he said.

“This £129 million investment brings the route firmly into the modern era, with new signalling and safer level crossings that will make journeys more reliable and reduce the need for future closures.

“We’d like to thank passengers for their patience while this long-term work was completed to improve journeys between Portsmouth and London.”

The Farncombe–Petersfield scheme forms part of the wider Portsmouth Direct Upgrade, described by Network Rail as a once-in-a-generation modernisation of the line between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour.