Delivery of the upgrade has been delayed due to the effect of the coronavirus pandemic. In September 2019, it was expected that most of the work on the track would take place over the winter of 2020–2021, with a "shuttle" train service planned during this period. Rail services were expected to be replaced by buses between and for 8 weeks in Autumn 2020 while the work was done, with a 4-week suspension expected between St John's Road and . Due to delays at the manufacturer, delivery of the first of the new trains was pushed back to September 2020. The work on the permanent way has also been delayed, and in August 2020 it was announced that instead of two different closure periods, with the first starting in the Autumn, the line would close completely from 4 January until 31 March 2021 for physical upgrades, including platform work and the Brading loop, with buses replacing trains between and Shanklin, and a minibus shuttle service to connect Ryde Esplanade to Ryde Pier Head during the work. However, given the catamaran ferry between Ryde Pier Head and Portsmouth Harbour was suspended due to low passenger numbers and England's national coronavirus lockdown when the closure began, the operator stated that the pier shuttle service would not operate until the ferry service resumed, which as of mid-February is not expected to be until the end of March. This contradicted a statement made by a UK government minister a few weeks earlier that the pier shuttle bus would operate as planned.