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Letter to Network Rail: No to rail replacement services on Semi-Final Day

On Saturday 25th April, Saints will face Manchester City at in the FA Cup Semi-Final at Wembley. It’s a massive moment for our team and our city. There are over 33,000 tickets allocated to Saints supporters, who will be travelling predominantly from Southampton.

However, the rail route between Basingstoke and Woking is due to have a rail replacement bus on the day, to allow for engineering works.

If this goes ahead, it will significantly impact fans travelling from Southampton to Wembley, causing severe disruption and potentially even preventing some fans attending altogether.

Today, I’ve written to the Chief Executive of Network Rail – along with Phil Parsons, Chief Executive of Southampton Football Club, and Cllr Alex Winning, Leader of Southampton City Council – calling for the works to be postponed.

We cannot allow this disruption for fans on such an incredibly special day for our team and our city.

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Southampton MPs join Council Leader in welcoming announcement that Northam Rail Bridge and A326 schemes given green light

Heidi Alexander MP, Secretary of State Transport

The Government has announced this morning that funding for schemes to replace the failing Northam Rail Bridge and to improve the A326 Marchwood Bypass corridor have been approved.

Both schemes have now been given the green light to progress as part of the Department for Transport’s third Road Investment Strategy and Major Road Network review, published today. Heidi Alexander, Secretary of state for Transport, gave a statement to the House of Commons this morning, announcing the strategy and setting out details.

The scheme at Northam Rail Bridge will see provision of a new, widened, replacement bridge on the A3024 corridor in Southampton, and the A326 scheme will see improvements made to the Marchwood Bypass corridor, connecting into the M27 at Junction 2 and serving the Waterside area of the New Forest.