FLOODING on the Isle of Wight in early August led to further delays in the completion of a £26m upgrade for the Island Line.
Originally due to have been finished at the end of March, the project – funded by the Department for Transport, Solent Local Enterprise Partnership and Isle of Wight Council – is claimed to be the biggest infrastructure transformation since the line’s electrification in 1967, along with the introduction of a new fleet of five Class 484 electric units to replace the 82-year-old Class 483 sets.
The construction of a new passing loop at Brading (which will create capacity for a regular half-hourly service, providing better connections with ferries to and from the mainland), track improvements to give better ride quality, the raising of platforms for easier access to trains, and installation of new ticket vending machines at Shanklin, Sandown and Ryde St John’s Road are key elements of the programme.
Problems