Lines through Effingham Junction close 29 and 30 August, hitting both of Guildford's slower London routes; Guildford to Farnham trains stop at Aldershot.
Both of Guildford’s slower routes to London are disrupted over the bank holiday weekend. South Western Railway is closing the lines through Effingham Junction for maintenance on Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 August, which cuts the Waterloo services via Cobham on both days and the services via Epsom on the Sunday. The details are on SWR’s own engineering works page.
The main line through Woking is not listed in the weekend’s work, so the fast Waterloo services and the Portsmouth line are unaffected by this closure. The North Downs line towards Redhill and Gatwick is also clear this weekend; its next closure is Sunday 13 September.
Saturday 29 August
- Waterloo to Guildford via Cobham trains divert after Surbiton and terminate at Hampton Court.
- Buses run between Surbiton and Effingham Junction via Cobham.
- A revised train service runs between Effingham Junction and Guildford.
- Guildford to Farnham trains terminate at Aldershot, because the Farnham to Alton line is also closed from Saturday to Monday. Buses run between Farnham and Alton.
Sunday 30 August
- Waterloo and Wimbledon to Guildford via Cobham trains do not run at all. Buses run the whole way between Surbiton and Guildford via Cobham; SWR advises London passengers to take another service to Surbiton first.
- Waterloo to Guildford via Epsom trains divert after Leatherhead and terminate at Dorking. Buses run between Leatherhead and Guildford via Effingham Junction.
- SWR lists no change to Guildford to Farnham trains on the Sunday; the Farnham to Alton section stays on buses, calling at Bentley village.
Bank Holiday Monday 31 August
The Effingham Junction lines reopen, but the Farnham to Alton closure runs through Monday, so Guildford to Farnham trains again terminate at Aldershot, with buses beyond Farnham calling at Bentley village.
From Monday evening a separate job starts: maintenance in the Winchester area means some late-evening services are cancelled or replaced by buses each night from Monday 31 August to Thursday 3 September. SWR lists Guildford among the affected stations, so check any late journey towards Winchester or Southampton that week.
What it means for you
If you are heading to London on Saturday or Sunday, the fast services via Woking are the reliable choice. Allow substantially longer for anything via Cobham or Epsom, and expect a bus for part or all of the journey on Sunday. Check your exact train before travelling on the National Rail journey planner or SWR’s works page, since replacement buses take longer than the trains they stand in for and may leave from a different part of the station.
Normal service patterns, journey times and the cheapest ways to pay are covered on our Guildford train times to London page. Road closures over the same period are tracked on Guildford roadworks and travel.
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