PASSENGERS travelling to London from Basingstoke over the Christmas period may be affected by disruption caused by a major improvement programme.

The Network Rail and South West Trains Alliance is beginning the £1m track upgrades at London Waterloo station, which will result in platforms one to nine closing on December 27, 28 and 29.

Around half the normal level of trains will run during the works, and some services will start and terminate at stations away from London Waterloo.

Passengers may have to change trains to complete their journey.

Those using the trains during this period are advised to check the timetable in advance of travel for details of the changes on journeys into Waterloo.

Tim Shoveller, managing director of the Network Rail and South West Trains Alliance, said: “With more than 100m passengers a year travelling through Waterloo station there is never a good time to carry out work which affects the level of service we can provide.

“However, we normally see around half the number of passengers travelling over Christmas than at other times of the year, so it provides a good opportunity to carry out much-needed improvement work on the track on a busy approach to the Waterloo station. This will provide a more reliable infrastructure which will help to deliver a better level of service to passengers.”

For information about train times visit southwesttrains.co.uk.