Surrey railway line to close for six days after ground mini landslip at embankment

A commuter line will be closed for six days while emergency work to stabilise an embankment is carried out after a small landslip.

Network Rail will shut the line between Guildford and Effingham Junction from Saturday December 21 to Boxing Day so engineers can repair the embankment in Clandon.

Remote sensors at the embankment have detected ground movement. Although trains can continue at reduced speeds, repairs are needed to restore full line speed.

Network Rail has said the line will close after the last train passes on Friday December 20, but the line could shut earlier if further movement is detected.

During the six-day closure, 50 sheet piles (eight-metre-long metal sheets) will be installed with steel roads underpinning the railway.

Tom McNamee, Network Rail’s Wessex route infrastructure director, said: “We’re acutely aware of the impact of closing this stretch of railway, however, the safety of our passengers and colleagues will always be our number one priority and its imperative we allow our engineers to get in there and stabilise this embankment to prevent any further movement and reopen the line as quickly as possible.”