Passengers planning to use South Western Railway trains this weekend to travel between Hounslow, Staines and Windsor and Eton Riverside are being asked to plan ahead.

Network Rail will be working on a number of upgrades in the area between Saturday 13 and Monday 15 January which means buses will replace trains.

They will be replacing around 1,100m of tracks, renewing 538m of rail and installing 1,800 tonnes of ballast in the Staines and Windsor area.

This will support the reliable running of the railway and will provide smoother journeys for customers.

During the closure, engineers will complete examinations of structures, litter and graffiti alongside the railway will be removed and track maintenance will be carried out.

In addition, there will be level crossing upgrades in the Egham area as well as signalling and telecommunications work near Windsor.

Rail replacement bus services will run between Hounslow and Virginia Water and between Hounslow and Windsor and Eton Riverside on Saturday 13 January.  The following day, Sunday 14 January, buses will replace trains between Houslow and Ascot, Hounslow and Woking and Hounslow and Windsor and Eton Riverside.  Services between Staines and Windsor and Eton Riverside will be replaced by buses on Monday 15 January.

Kevin Hoar, Network Rail project manager, said: “These works are really important for us to carry out as they will improve reliability of the railway line for customers travelling in and around south west London.  It’s always regrettable when we have to close the railway, but delivering this work alongside other small projects at the same time will cause less disruption in the long run to our customers travelling on this important stretch of railway.

“We’re grateful to customers and local residents living alongside the railway for their patience and understanding while we continue modernising the railway in the Windsor and Staines area.”

A spokesperson for South Western Railway added: “We are grateful to our customers for their patience as our colleagues at Network Rail make these vital improvements to the railway, which will enhance the reliability of services for many years to come. We advise customers travelling in the area on the three days to check journey planners before doing so.”