NETWORK Rail will start work to implement a permanent fix to the railway embankment between Farnham and Alton on Monday following the landslip at Wrecclesham that closed the railway for nearly three weeks in April.

After a four-month investigation, Network Rail now believes drainage issues were to blame for the track starting to dip and Network Rail has set out detailed plans to rebuild the embankment with minimal disruption for rail passengers - at a cost of £4.5 million.

Starting next week, engineers will build a wall on the north side of the slope to hold the embankment in place, and will replace the slipped earth with compacted stone which will incorporate drainage to help with the removal of water from the track and the embankment.

It is hoped engineers will be able to carry out the repairs with the current speed restriction still in place and without needing to close the line. However, a Network Rail spokesman added if it becomes necessary to carry out small works to the track engineers will try to do this during existing planned closures scheduled for later this year.

Hector Kidds, senior asset engineer for Network Rail said: “Following the temporary works earlier this year to get the line re-opened as quickly as possible for passengers, we’ve spent the last few months designing a permanent solution that will improve the drainage and will stabilise the whole embankment. This will minimise the risk of any future landslips from happening at this location.

“The vast majority of our work will be carried out during weekdays but there may be some need to carry out works at weekends and overnight, though these will be kept to a minimum and I’d like to thank our neighbours for their patience while we carry out the upgrades.”

The line between Alton and Farnham was closed on April 13, and South West Trains immediately implemented a bus replacement service for passengers.

Network Rail engineers investigated the landslip further and began work to stabilise the 250 metre stretch of track by drilling reinforcing ‘piles’ eight metres into the ground beneath, allowing train services to resume on May 3.

The permanent solution is set to be completed by the start of 2017.