Alstom has announced the successful delivery of new signalling, first-of-type level crossings and a wealth of other assets on the Portsmouth Direct line, which runs between Farncombe in Surrey and Petersfield in Hampshire.
The 49 million GBP project has seen the upgrade of a section of UK railway first built over 150 years ago with a slew of new technological enhancements, each of which aim to improve reliability for passengers and freight operators, enhance overall asset performance for Network Rail and ensure safer working conditions along the line.
Forming part of the Major Signalling Framework Agreement (MSFA) for the Southern Region, which Alstom secured in 2020, the project has seen the renewal of assets and introduction of new, digital-ready technologies, including the upgrade of eleven level crossings; transfer of control of the area’s signalling from three local signal boxes to Network Rail’s Basingstoke Rail Operating Centre (ROC); implementation of the company’s digital interlockings; and the replacement of track circuits with axle counters.
Emmanuel Henry, Digital and Integrated Systems Managing Director UK and Ireland at Alstom, said:Alstom has been proud to partner on one the most significant investments ever made on the Portsmouth Direct line, replacing life-expired equipment with cutting-edge technology that will transform reliability and performance for years to come.
By introducing digital-ready signalling and advanced level crossing systems, we’ve not only modernised a route that dates back more than 150 years, but we have also created a foundation for the digital railway of the future.
I’m incredibly proud of the team’s achievement in delivering this complex programme safely and efficiently. The work was completed by Alstom colleagues during a nine-day closure with zero injuries – everyone went home safe.
This success reflects the strength of our partnership with Network Rail and our supply chain, along with our shared commitment to innovation, sustainability and passenger experience.
During a nine-day closure between Guildford and Havant in November 2025, Alstom engineers carried out a series of tests on 90 new LED signals, laid more than 30km of new cable and introduced 17 new object controllers (SmartIO) and equipment housings onto the line.
SmartIO is a digital system that aims to connect trackside equipment directly to a central control system, enabling a safer, more efficient railway. The trackside equipment housing does not require air conditioning, heating or domestic power supplies, allowing to reduce carbon emissions and cost for any given user.
Alstom also recently carried out work on seven level crossings to introduce new obstacle-detection technology, with two seeing the implementation of CCTV technology. Two foot crossings received miniature warning stop lights.
The programme forms the final piece of Network Rail’s wider 129 million GBP Portsmouth Direct Upgrade, which has seen improvements made to the line between London Waterloo and Portsmouth Harbour.
