Major engineering works will take place on the Island Line and Ryde Pier starting in September which will see no trains for a whole month and Ryde Pier closed for 8 months. From Friday 6th September to Sunday 6th October, the Island Line will be closed in its entirety from Ryde Pier Head to Shanklin while Network Rail and South West Railway engineers complete a large programme of vital maintenance. The programme includes track and bridge renewals between Ryde St Johns Road and Ryde Pier Head, renovations to a historic footbridge at Brading, signalling works at Ryde and bridge repairs in Sandown. The Grade II listed footbridge at Brading has been closed since March 2021, various delays along the way have seen the scheme pushed back with the latest reopening date touted for November. Rail replacement bus services will operate between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin throughout the closure. Engineers will also continue work to repair and preserve the historic Ryde Pier structure, which began in October 2022. The pier will close to trains on Friday 6 September 2024 and is expected to reopen in early May 2025, in time for the summer holiday season. Works were already undertaken to the historic structure between October 2022 and July 2023 – as previously reported by Island Echo. A temporary structure has been in place since then. In order to maintain connections with ferry services, a minibus shuttle service will operate between Ryde Pier Head and Ryde Esplanade throughout the closure, while train services will operate every 30 minutes between Ryde Esplanade and Shanklin. Island Line was completely suspended for 5 days back in March so that essential maintenance could be undertaken. 
“Part of the track and infrastructure on the Island Line has become life-expired and extreme weather is contributing to the acceleration of the degradation of the railway. “Our planned maintenance will ensure we’re able to keep running services safely and reliably while our ongoing programme of upgrades to the steel structure and track between Ryde Pier Head and Ryde Esplanade stations will preserve and strengthen the track and infrastructure for future generations. “We recognise there is never a convenient time to close the line, but we have waited to do so until after the important summer period and we would like to thank local residents, businesses and customers in advance for their patience and understanding while we complete this important work.”
Mark Dunn, South Western Railway’s Island Line General Manager, said:
“We’re sorry for the disruption that this month-long closure of the Island Line will cause our customers, however, it is vital that this wide range of work is completed to ensure that the Island Line can operate long into the future. “Due to the complex nature of the repairs and refurbishments at Ryde Pier, which aims to give the historic structure a further 60 years of use, a further long-term closure is required. Buses will replace trains between Ryde Pier Head and Ryde Esplanade for approximately eight months, between September 2024 and May 2025. “Once again we’re sorry for the disruption that our customers and stakeholders on the Island will experience, and we thank them for their continued patience.”
Things just get crazier and crazier with Island line.
I can’t think of any other rail service in the country that has been allowed to be totally shut down for months on end for routine maintenance.
Though given its woeful performance calling it a “service” is a bit of a stretch.
Where is the rail regulator in all this?
Brilliant, kids network rail, national plc own the lot. SWR operate a train service on their network therefore when network rail say we are doing this which means you SWR cannot run trains then you as a operator salute. They own the lot. IWCC have no say at all. End result is a better system
Why is so much being spent on this railway, only just spent millions and new (old) unreliable trains. People once finding bus and other ways will not return to using train. It can’t be a profit making line and probably will be permanently closed in next few years by powers to be..
Stop the trains……..and the boats!
At least it will keep the fat Locals fit For when they have to go to their medical appointments in Portsmouth They’re the only people attempt to use that train
Well I suppose it makes a change from the train drivers being on strike, but this really isn’t good enough! Its high time the Island had a decent service, not this joke of a service that, when it runs, cannot even deliver the regular services Islanders were promised!
Bet the tats still get payed for doing naffall..at £65 grand a year..and they want more????????????
Tell us what they do then?
Been a train driver then or a failed one ?
Ivey was seemingly right. Get the line tarmac and have a relief road
It is time to restructure this network.
Lay tram lines, more reliable going forward.
Just another nail in the coffin. Why don’t they just admit that they are looking for a reason to shut it down for good.
Replace with buses..how many buses does it take to carry the same amount of passengers an Islandline train can?
Buses or light rail are nowhere near as future proof as what we have now, and looking at the amount of time it takes to get anywhere on this island by car for various reasons it won’t be long before you have to look for alternatives.
Investing now in Islandline is a necessity not a luxury that in the near future islanders will be grateful for.w
When my dad moved to the island he laughed at the fact we have signs telling us when the chain ferry IS operating because it’s out of service so much.
Maybe they need to start doing that for the trains too.
This Island Line scandal is no different to the
Floating Bridge scandal.
Should have kept the old trains and kept the old Floating Bridge.
“Both were more reliable”.
Proof that new is not better than old, my birds can vouch for that.
Just give it up move on tarmac it over….it’s a joke ..
So continue to throw ever increasing money down the pot holes? Makes total sense!
There won’t be any passengers left at this rate. A sure way to drive the last few long-suffering souls away.
Trouble is the lazy employees won’t even notice it is closing they are either of sick or on strike
They should put in a set of points at Small rook junction during the works ready for the steam railway to take over.
I hope all are OK, but when will people learn to judge the width of their cars? It may be that a tourist has misjudged the available road size, but that is a serious impact which may indicate excessive speed for the road conditions, which is a common mistake down here. We will probably never know the facts behind this accident, but it should serve as a warning to all drivers here that 2 into 1 will not go, no matter how aggressive or forceful one gets, and there HAVE been plenty of aggressive visitors driving about, just relax!
What a pathetic comment how can you misjudge the road size. This is hardly a narrow road.
Bah! The roads almost as wide as the section of road from the racecourse roundabout up to the park road turn off, seems like a little bit of overtaking gone wrong, had some knob try to overtake me on a bend the other week and saw her cut in right behind me as an oncoming car came to a full stop.
Plenty of road width there unless one of them thought they were driving a tank. Pure guesswork as to the cause.
Yes I totally agree followed a Audi estate from seaview to ryde the other day they were on both sides of road and going round corners way over the middle of the road though there was going to be a serious accident STAY ON YOUR SIDE OFF THE ROAD AND CARE ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE.Not saying this happened at this accident and hope all concerned will be ok
I totally agree with you since the holidays people think they are driving on mainland, wake up, the roads are not meant for fast driving! Also give way if a cars parked on your side of the road instead of making oncoming driver having to brake suddenly because you think you own the road. Slow down idiots.
May have been locals, they are known for speeding on the
Island.
Too be honest doesn’t matter where they are from
motorists should not be on the other side of the road.
‘we will probably never know the facts’
The guy had a medical episode and passed out at the wheel, fact!
You really are a T*at
Well done to all the emergency services and members of the public who helped deal with this incident.
Thoughts are with the families of those involved in this terrible incident.
More crap driving on the island..
Let me guess it’s a elderly driver as always who should not be behind a wheel
What’s wrong with people like you constantly blaming older drivers, most crashes are caused by younger people…You really are a very sick person…
Actually they were not
Let me guess? You’re stupid.And the winner is….(drum roll)…Me!
Let me guess it’s a young driver as always speeding who should not be behind a wheel!!
Let’s just hope that all involved will be okay.
As reported, neither drivers are ‘elderly’ so there’s your useless comment trashed … again!
Hope both families make quick recoveries.
Another toy boy racer no doubt
It could be a medical incident so many judgements from people
Hope everyone recovers ok and thoughts with all of injured
No one knows the facts so stop the judgements
How does this happen? We each have our own sides of the carriageway. It is a perfectly simple task to stay on one’s own side. So simple is it in fact that no barriers are thought necessary down the middle. And yet this simple arrangement and the task that is necessary is seemingly beyond the capabilities of too many people. And that’s how innocents end up in hospital or worse.
Never mind the tourists, in the mid of winter islanders drive down country lanes far to fast in the middle of the road, in fact there is plenty of them doing it on ordinary roads. Mostly men, of course
Before clicking the red arrow
IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU
it makes me sick that an Head on Crash happens,
it can only happen by another vehicle being on the
Wrong side of the road
THIS SHOULD NOT BE
stick to your own side of the road, don’t tell me more
Speeding, why can’t people wait!
It now puts a strain on the Emergency Services, overwhelms the NHS
and causes UNNECESSARY Road delays for other motorists.
It’s about time the authorities placed
Islandwide speed Camera’s / ANPR and CCTV
Someone is too blame for this accident
I pray everyone is ok
Slow down F.F.S, think before overtaking
Looks to me by the pictures that the black car was on the wrong side of the road, and involved some poor sod coming the other way