Essential engineering works on the South West main line over the festive period will severely impact services.

Between Sunday, December 15 and Sunday, January 5, engineers will be working to upgrade the railway between Basingstoke and Woking.

Network Rail will be renewing the switches and crossings - the equipment which allows trains to change tracks - at Pirbright Junction, where the line to Aldershot leaves the South West Main Line towards Basingstoke.

Engineers will also carry out work to strengthen embankments in the area, reducing the chance of landslips and keep passengers moving. Maintenance teams will also be carrying out tamping - the compacting of the stones that support the tracks - between Hook and Farnborough.

Teams will also be improving drainage between Brookwood and Farnborough near Basingstoke Canal, including installing new pipes into the embankments and catch-pits, to reduce the flooding risk.

South Western Railway (SWR) services will be altered or diverted and some journey times will be significantly longer.

Rail replacement buses will operate as follows:

Journeys between London Waterloo and Southampton Central, Poole and Weymouth will be diverted via Guildford, taking approximately 45 minutes longer. There will be no direct services between London Waterloo, Salisbury and Exeter St Davids.

Services between London Waterloo and Alton, Guildford and Farnham, and London Waterloo to Portsmouth Harbour via Basingstoke will also be affected.

There will be no train or bus services on the SWR network on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Passengers are advised to plan ahead and check before they travel.

Further details of how journeys will be affected at www.southwesternrailway.com/woking-christmas.