Network Rail has announced planned track and bridge renewals on the route between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside during the October half-term, with rail-replacement buses due to operate for seven days from Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November 2026.
The work is scheduled to affect journeys in the Staines, Windsor, Hounslow, Feltham and Virginia Water areas. Passengers are being advised to plan ahead and check their journey before travelling, as trains will be replaced by buses on parts of the route while engineers carry out the works.
Track and bridge works
The planned programme includes bridge and track maintenance between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside. At a bridge between Staines and Wraysbury, engineers are due to replace 28 wheel timbers. These are wooden blocks that support passing trains.
On the approach to Windsor & Eton Riverside station, engineers are also scheduled to replace 30 long timbers. These wooden blocks support multiple tracks, and the timbers on this section are described as supporting more than 70 train services using the station on a weekday.
A further part of the programme is the renewal of switches and crossings near Staines station. This section is described as an important entry point for trains entering service.
Network Rail says the works are intended to support safe operation, improve reliability and strengthen the railway’s long-term resilience. The announcement presents the Staines–Windsor package as part of ongoing investment in railway infrastructure across the area, rather than as a completed upgrade.
Replacement buses between Staines and Windsor
From Monday 26 October to Sunday 1 November, buses are planned to replace trains between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside. The replacement arrangements cover the full week of engineering work.
For Monday 26 to Friday 30 October, services between Staines and Windsor are listed as diverted. Two buses per hour are planned between Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside, calling at Wraysbury, Sunnymeads and Datchet.
The arrangements mean passengers using the Windsor branch should allow extra time and check current travel information before setting out. The works are planned in advance, but engineering and replacement transport arrangements can still affect journey times and connections.
Weekend changes around Hounslow, Feltham and Virginia Water
Additional service changes are planned for Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November. On both days, buses are scheduled to replace trains between Hounslow, Feltham and Virginia Water.
On Saturday 31 October, services between London Waterloo and Reading are listed as diverted, while services between London Waterloo and Weybridge are planned to finish at Hounslow. Replacement buses are scheduled on routes between Hounslow and Virginia Water, calling at stations including Feltham, Staines and Egham. Other buses are planned between Hounslow and Windsor & Eton Riverside, and between Feltham and Windsor & Eton Riverside.
On Sunday 1 November, services between London Waterloo and Reading are again listed as diverted. Services between London Waterloo and Woking are planned to finish at Hounslow, and afternoon services between London Waterloo and Kingston are also listed as finishing at Hounslow. Feltham station is scheduled to be closed on the Sunday.
The Sunday replacement bus plan includes buses between Hounslow and Virginia Water, calling at Feltham, Staines and Egham, as well as a bus between Hounslow and Windsor & Eton Riverside calling at Ashford, Staines and Datchet.
Part of a wider reliability plan
The Staines–Windsor works have been presented as part of a wider plan to reduce delays and improve reliability between London Waterloo, Staines and Windsor & Eton Riverside.
That wider context also includes a separate £15 million investment in track and signalling improvements on the London Waterloo–Woking corridor. That figure relates to the Waterloo–Woking corridor investment and should not be read as the cost of the Staines–Windsor half-term works.
Services between London Waterloo and Windsor & Eton Riverside join the Waterloo–Woking corridor at Queenstown Road in Battersea, where further works are also described as supporting more reliable journeys.
Passengers intending to travel during the half-term works should check the operator’s latest journey information close to their travel date, particularly if travelling through Staines, Windsor & Eton Riverside, Hounslow, Feltham, Virginia Water or connecting stations affected by the replacement bus arrangements.
