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Isle of Wight rail line shuts for three months

David Dixon Island LineDavid Dixon
The current Tube trains on the line are more than 80 years old

The Isle of Wight railway line is out of action for three months for a major £26m overhaul.

The Island Line has closed for track and platform upgrades from Shanklin to Ryde Pier Head.

Its existing trains, which date from 1938, will also be replaced with five refurbished former Tube trains from the London Underground's District Line.

Buses will run between Shanklin and Ryde Esplanade - a minibus will operate along Ryde Pier for ferry connections.

New train arriving by ferry at Fishbourne 19.11.20
One of the refurbished former Tube trains arrived by ferry at Fishbourne
Roger Silsbury / Isle of Wight Steam Railway Class 484001 Island LineRoger Silsbury / Isle of Wight Steam Railway
The new trains were in service on the London Underground's District Line until 2002

The track upgrade will include a new passing loop at Brading to allow trains to run half-hourly to Ryde pier to connect with Portsmouth ferry services.

The railway uses London Underground trains because of the height of Ryde tunnel.

The new trains, which formerly ran on London's District Line, incorporate 40-year-old body shells but have been refitted with new parts. They are expected to run on the line from May.

The existing trains, built for the Tube system in 1938, have run on the route between Ryde and Shanklin since the late 1980s.

One of the trains is going to be preserved at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway.

The upgrades are being paid for by the Department for Transport, with £1m for the passing loop coming jointly from Isle of Wight Council and Solent Local Enterprise Partnership.

Jaggery Island Line train towards RydeJaggery
The fleet of two-carriage trains were built back in 1938 serving the London Underground network before starting service on the Isle of Wight in 1989