Rail passengers have been warned of Christmas disruption as services will be scrapped and diverted.

Network Rail aid engineering work on the South West Main Line will “severely impact” services, starting from Monday.

Services between Waterloo and Southampton/Weymouth will be diverted, adding 45 minutes to journeys.

Mark Goodall, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said: “We’re urging passengers to plan ahead and check before they travel over the festive period while we carry out these essential improvements to the railway.

“We know there is never a good time to close the railway. However, the festive period presents us with an opportune time to complete more complex upgrades such as these, as fewer passengers are travelling and the railway is closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.”

When will works start?

The disruption will start on Monday, December 23, and remain until Monday, January 6 as engineers upgrade the railway at Brookwood, between Farnborough and Woking.

During this time, engineers will be completing a range of upgrades for the continued safe and reliable running of the railway, using specialist equipment including 19 engineering trains, two tampers and a rail-mounted crane.

Engineers will also be carrying out work to strengthen embankments in the area to reduce the chance of landslips.

This work means South Western Railway (SWR) services will be altered or diverted and some journey times will be significantly longer.

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Peter Williams, SWR’s customer and commercial director, said: “It’s important that customers plan their journeys in advance and check before they travel over the Christmas and New Year’s period.

"We’re sorry for the disruption this will cause and are very grateful for our customers’ patience."

What journeys will be affected?

Journeys between London Waterloo and Southampton Central, Poole and Weymouth will be diverted via Guildford, taking approximately 45 minutes longer.

There will be no direct services between London Waterloo, Salisbury and Exeter St Davids.

Services from Ascot to Aldershot will be revised to run earlier between Camberley and Aldershot between Monday, December16 and Saturday, December 21.

Services between London Waterloo and Alton, Guildford and Farnham, and London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via Basingstoke will also be affected.

There will be no train or bus services on the SWR network on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.