Work starting on Monday the 7th of August for HS2 and major rail repairs by Network Rail will see passenger journeys affected for those travelling between Aylesbury, Princes Risborough and Amersham.

Network Rail will undertake permanent repair work to a Victorian drainage culvert which passes beneath the railway at Aylesbury after faults with discovered in the structure earlier in the year. These issues have seen several short-notice closures put in place on the line, which has created disruption for customers. Due to the magnitude of the work needed to repair the issue, a 12-day railway closure will be put in place from the 7th to the 18th of August.

During the period of work, rail replacement buses will operate between:

• Amersham, Great Missenden, Wendover, Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury and Aylesbury Vale Parkway, where connections can be made for London Underground.
• Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Little Kimble and Aylesbury

Car parking will be greatly reduced at Aylesbury station ahead of and during the period of work due to the materials and machinery required to carry out the work. Advice has been given to passengers travelling with Chiltern Railways to make use of alternate car parks at either Aylesbury Vale Parkway or Stoke Mandeville stations.

From the 19th of August to the 29th of October, work will get underway for HS2, which will see the high-speed railway pass beneath the current railway. Once again, this will see disruption to train services for those travelling between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough with rail replacement buses operating between:

• Princes Risborough, Monks Risborough, Little Kimble and Aylesbury

Details of rail replacement bus services are currently being finalised and therefore, some changes may not be available via online journey planners. Those travelling in the affected areas are advised to check their travel plans nearer the date of the period of work in order to get the very latest information for rail replacement buses by clicking here.

Further to the two major projects, further work will be underway at the Marsh Lane level crossing between August and October and will see the road closed to road users from 10pm on Friday the 18th of August and will be ongoing until Spring 2024. This work will see major improvements carried out alongside an upgrade for the level crossing, which will take place in 2024 to bring safety standards up to modern requirements.

Patrick Cawley, director of ‘On Network Works’ for Network Rail and HS2, said:

“Our major upgrades in Buckinghamshire will help to improve reliability for passengers who have been disrupted this year as well as preparing for HS2 which will transform journeys between London, the Midlands and the North, by making space on the existing railway network for more freight and local services.”

“Before work begins next week, we are urging passengers to familiarise themselves with the alternative travel arrangements in place, and planning their journeys in advance by visiting the Chiltern Railways website.”

Jacqueline Dey, operations director of Chiltern Railways, said:

“Local customers will know all too well that the damaged culvert has led to numerous short-notice cancellations this year, and we are pleased that a permanent fix will be implemented this summer. Customers should be aware that Network Rail and HS2 works will close the railway for a further ten weeks after these repairs. Rail replacement buses will be in operation during this time, and customers should check before they travel.”

“We’d like to thank customers for their patience while these works take place, and we remain heavily committed to working with our industry partners to keep local residents informed before and throughout the closure.”