MAJOR work on the railway track between Eastleigh and Fareham has been completed.

Network Rail closed the line for nine days to complete the project aimed at preventing landslips in the area.

Work began on June 24 and South Western Railway services on the line from Eastleigh to Fareham were replaced by buses until the work ended on July 3.

The £2.28m project tackled the steepness of the railway cutting near Fareham Tunnel.

Making the sides of the slope shallower minimises the risk of landslips, which otherwise could be caused by earth movements in extreme weather.

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The most recent landslip on the line, at Botley in 2014, closed the route for six weeks.

By doing this work in nine days, the risk of landslips is reduced while ultimately causing less disruption for customers.

Network Rail’s Wessex route director, Mark Killick, said: “We appreciate that closing the railway for a week was disruptive, especially on the back of the recent rail strikes, but this job was absolutely vital to keeping the line open and safe in future.

“I'd like to thank our customers and our railway neighbours for their patience while we completed this major work.”

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