Island Line will shut down after today (Sunday), for three months of work.

From April, new trains will connect Shanklin and Ryde, with replacement buses running in the meantime, starting tomorrow (Monday.

The outgoing Class 483s - 1938-built London tube trains that have run on Island Line since 1989 - are retiring.

One will go to a heritage railway in Essex, while another is expected to be rehomed at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway's Train Story exhibit in Havenstreet.

Replacement bus services will run from tomorrow, Monday, January 4.

The British Rail Class 484 have been built by rolling stock manufacturer Vivarail.

The former London Underground trains were originally manufactured in the late 1970s and early 1980s and have been completely upgraded, refurbished and converted.

The first of the new trains have already arrived on the Island, caught on camera by eagle-eyed train fans in November.

One was spotted on the tracks in early December.

In September 2019, alongside the Department for Transport, network operator South Western Railway (SWR) announced the £26 million upgrade. Island Line’s infrastructure will be improved, with work including a new passing loop at Brading, allowing 30-minute services to meet Wightlink ferries at the end of Ryde Pier.

SWR says journeys will be smoother, and upgrades to platforms will improve accessibility. The new Class 484 trains will be introduced into service after upgrade work by Vivarail. From January 4 until March 31, train services will be replaced by buses.

A regular 30-minute service will start in May.

Free station Wi-Fi being is to be rolled out and there will be new ticket vending machines at Shanklin, Sandown and Ryde St Johns Road.