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Wessex route

The Wessex route covers the major commuter area of south-west London as well as from London Waterloo to the south and south-west of England

This route is one of the busiest on the rail network, taking in all or part of the counties of Surrey, Berkshire, Hampshire, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire.

Peak-time capacity is Wessex’s main challenge, specifically with on-train crowding for passengers to and from London. Passenger numbers on the route have more than doubled in the last 20 years, with over half a million people using it every day. There are more than 230 million passenger journeys on Wessex route each year, including nearly 100 million to or from London Waterloo.

The Wessex route also supports high levels of passenger traffic to and from many other important regional centres, such as Bournemouth, Southampton, Portsmouth, Guildford and Basingstoke.

Off-peak business and leisure travel has shown continued growth in recent years, and the railway through Wessex route is also important for rail freight, linking Southampton Port and Airport with the Midlands and North of England.

Main railway lines

Safety

We work closely with local communities to promote safety by the railway. Find out more on our community safety page.

Projects in Wessex

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