THE South West Trains-Network Rail Alliance has apologised to passengers affected by the extended engineering work on the Alton to London Waterloo line.

And because of the over-run, commuters hit last week will receive compensation.

Alliance managing director Tim Shoveller said: "I am very sorry about the serious disruption that many of you will have faced on our services last week due to the significant extension to the engineering work between Alton and Farnham and between Aldershot and Ascot."

Network Rail engineers have been carrying out a re-signalling project over the past four months between Alton and Brookwood and Guildford and Ascot. It is part of a £20m scheme to replace life-expired signalling with new equipment, to improve the reliability of services. According to Mr Shoveller, the work has covered sections of track and signalling between Farnham and Alton, Aldershot and Pirbright junction, Aldershot to Guildford and Aldershot to Ascot. It includes a platform extension at Bentley, to facilitate longer trains, and new points at Bentley.

For full story, see this week's Alton Herald.