LIPHOOK rail passengers travelling south are facing months of rail disruption after massive problems with Network Rail's multi-million pound signalling system. The £100 million project to update the signals on the Portsmouth-to-Waterloo line was supposed to take six weeks, but this week Network Rail was unable to confirm when the work will be completed. Network Rail has now said there are technical issues which have yet to be resolved as the signalling system is "not working as it should". In a statement, Network Rail said: "Further work and testing is necessary before the new signalling system in Portsmouth can become fully operational. "Although much work has already been done, more time is needed to complete the installation and testing of the new signalling system." The overrunning engineering work means rail users in some areas will be been forced to use replacement bus services, and staff on the trains are having to change the signals manually. Network Rail has also confirmed there will be no train services at Liphook station all day on Sunday, March 18, with a replacement bus service operating instead. The line will be closed between Portsmouth Harbour and Petersfield, and Fareham and Chichester on Saturday, March 17, and this will be extended to include Liphook and Haslemere on Sunday, March 18. Portsmouth to Waterloo Rail Users' Group chairman Brian Keefe told The Herald he would be asking for full details of the matter at the next meeting on March 22. He said: "All I know at the moment is it's going to take longer than expected, and the reason I have been given is some of the new equipment is faulty and some has not been delivered on time, but I have no more information at present." Liphook transport expert Dr John Tough told The Herald the lack of a service at weekends was a "bit annoying", but pointed out the replacement bus service "seems to work quite well" and was "not much slower than getting the train". Dr Tough, who is also chairman of the Liphook Parish Council's highways, byways and transport committee, said he thought the overall disruption for passengers would be minimal, but could prove difficult for young people with no alternative forms of transport. He said: "I'm pleased they are able to do the work at weekends rather than throughout the week, as they have done in Portsmouth". Passenger services to Portsmouth Harbour will now run on Thursday, March 15, and Friday, March 16. On Saturday, March 31, the lines between Fratton and Portsmouth Harbour will be closed, and on Sunday, April 1, no services will be running between Hilsea and Portsmouth Harbour. The work will also mean a reduced service for passengers travelling to Portsmouth, with three passenger trains an hour running from Fratton to Portsmouth Harbour, until Sunday, April 1. These will be made up of two South West Trains services and one First Great Western. All southern services will continue to terminate at Fratton. After Sunday, April 1, additional measures will be put in place, which are expected to allow extra passenger services to run through to Portsmouth Harbour. Network Rail says this arrangement will continue indefinitely until all parties are confident the Siemens system is fully operational. Replacement bus services will continue to supplement rail services and Network Rail says it is "working with all train operating companies to ensure passenger disruption is kept to a minimum and that travellers are kept fully informed about how the works will affect their journeys". David Pape, route director for Network Rail, said: "We apologise to passengers in the Portsmouth area for disruption and inconvenience this will cause. "We appreciate they have already been patient, but we are asking for them to bear with us while we get the delivery of the project exactly right. "At this moment in time we have identified some technical issues with the new signalling system, and until these are ironed out, it is not yet ready to take over train operation. "We are disappointed for all our customers, and we will be doing everything we can to finish this work and get train services in the area back to normal as soon as possible". Christian Roth, managing director at Siemens Transportation Systems, said: "We regret and apologise for the disruption to rail users in the area, as a result of the continued delay in the completion of the project. We are working very hard with Network Rail to minimise further delays. Our efforts continue to be focused on the delivery of a robust and reliable railway for the future." The project to improve the signals in the Portsmouth area is part of Network Rail's £1.5 billion nationwide investment in signalling over the next three years. It will mean a major overhaul of signalling and track equipment along a 50-mile section of the network, from Portsmouth to Petersfield and Bedhampton to Portchester, some of which dates back to the 1960s. New equipment will be installed and a state-of- the-art signalling control centre will be built at Havant. Network Rail claims the project will deliver big benefits to passengers in the form of a better and more reliable railway infrastructure for the future. The investment in the signalling system was initially announced in March last year, and Network Rail had planned to carry out the engineering work in three stages between Christmas and February, but the final phase of this has now been extended to include the upcoming work. In a statement South West Trains said: "Network Rail has informed us that the engineering work, which is being carried out in the Portsmouth area, has suffered a further setback. "We share our passengers' frustration at this latest setback and we are pressurising Network Rail to complete the work as quickly as they can so we can restore a normal service."
