Dear Buckinghamshire Stakeholders,

Network Rail have announced that engineering work will be taking place between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury, and Aylesbury Vale Parkway and Amersham from Monday 7 August to Friday 18 August 2023. This will allow engineers to permanently repair a brick-built culvert which was damaged in early 2023, leading to repeated short-notice closures of the Princes Risborough to Aylesbury line. A temporary repair was made, and monitoring equipment installed, but during heavy rain or repeated uses of the locks in the Grand Union Canal, the railway must close as water levels fill the culvert, obscuring the monitoring equipment.

In addition, the line between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury will remain closed until Monday 30 October 2023. Working in partnership with HS2, Network Rail will move and replace more than a mile of track and signalling equipment on the line south of Aylesbury to make way for the new HS2 line which will pass beneath the existing railway. When completed, this vital work will mean more reliable journeys for passengers travelling between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough on a railway that’s fit for the future.

A full rail replacement service will be in place during these closures. This includes specific services catering for commuters at peak times and schoolchildren who will use the route after the summer holidays. As the timetables of rail replacement bus services are being finalised, they are not yet showing in online journey planners. Passengers are advised to visit our website page for the latest updates www.chilternrailways.co.uk/pra .