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On Friday, 2 May, Network Rail, South Western Railway and partners from across the industry came together to celebrate the rich history of the railway on the Isle of Wight.

Network Rail are thanking passengers for their patience and understanding after we completed a raft of upgrades in the Basingstoke area over the Bank Holiday weekend.

This morning (Friday 2 May) marks the resumption of Island Line services from Ryde Pier to Shanklin, following a complex programme to repair and refurbish the historic structure.

Buses will replace trains in the Basingstoke area over the early May Bank Holiday Weekend (Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May) while Network Rail complete essential track improvements.

• Nearly half of people from the South East (47%) admit they’ve made a mistake, such as missing their train or locking themselves out of the house, while being distracted by their phone.
• Young people are among the most distracted with 87% of Gen Z and 70% of Millennials admitting to mistakes, compared to just 22% of Boomers.
• Over the past four years there have been 1,574 reported near miss incidents across the railway network involving pedestrians at level crossings.
• “The consequences of a split-second decision can be life-altering,” says Lucy Ruck who lost her leg in a level crossing incident.

Today (Saturday 26 April) marked a moment of railway history as the final steam train was signalled through the railway by three signal boxes between Farncombe and Petersfield.

Stoneleigh has become the latest station on Network Rail’s Wessex route to become step free, following the completion of a £9.1m investment to improve accessibility.

Buses will replace trains in the Basingstoke area over the early May Bank Holiday Weekend (Sunday 4 and Monday 5 May) while Network Rail complete essential track improvements.