TRACK MAINTENANCE HALTS ALL TRAINS ON ISLAND LINE FOR 5 DAYS FROM TODAY

There is to be no service whatsoever on the Island Line from today (Friday) until the middle of next week owing to track maintenance work. South Western Railway has confirmed that services will be suspended until Tuesday 12th March inclusive, with trains resuming on Wednesday 13th March. The closure will allow engineers to carry out essential work on flood defences which were put to the test during extreme adverse weather at the start of the year. Other works that are set to be completed include; track upgrades, vegetation management work and structural surveys, keeping engineers busy during the period of maintenance. To complicate issues, Avenue Road in Sandown will also be closed from 18:00 on Friday 8th March until 06:00 on Monday 11th March, between Perowne Way and Tamar Close – under the railway bridge. This is to allow for track repair works. Motorists will have to divert via Perowne Way to Lake, or Yaverland to Sandown, in both directions across the weekend. Rail replacement buses will be in operation between Ryde Esplanade and Shanklin throughout, with a separate minibus operating up and down Ryde Pier. The buses will have to divert via Yaverland. Passengers are being warned that journey times will be extended and they will have to travel earlier than normal to maintain connections.