Network Rail has completed a £29 million upgrade to the line joining Basingstoke and Eastleigh in record time.

Part of the £40 billion Railway Upgrade Plan, the changes to the track and foundation of this area was done in half the time thanks to the use of state-of-the-art track renewal and ballast cleaning machines.

Overall, 25 km of track was replaced, along with 64,000 tonnes of ballast and 38,000 new railway sleepers were laid.

The High Output Ballast Cleaner was put in to replace the ballast beneath the track to improve drainage. It has been in working order five nights a week since September 2015.

However, this is the first time the new Ballast Cleaner has been used on a railway powered by a third rail, which sees the electrical current carrying power to the trains placed on the floor, instead of via an overhead source.

John Halsall, route managing director at Network Rail, said: "We're delighted to deliver this fantastic upgrade, not only in record time but with minimal disruption to passengers.

"The number of passengers using the railways is now at its highest point ever and continues to grow [...] it is vital that we keep upgrading the infrastructure in the most efficient way possible."