Great Western Railway services will be affected by rail improvement work taking place between Somerset and Dorset later this week.
Network Rail will replace track on the Heart of Wessex line this autumn, and train services will be impacted between Dorchester and Weymouth on Sunday 22 September:
- GWR trains will still run between Dorchester West and Westbury, continuing onto Bristol Temple Meads
- Replacement buses are planned between Yeovil Pen Mill and Upwey or Weymouth only
- Buses are also planned to replace SWR trains at Dorchester South station between Wareham and Weymouth
Trains will then be impacted between Dorchester West and Castle Cary from Monday 23 to Sunday 29 September:
- GWR trains will still run between Castle Cary and Westbury, continuing onto Bristol Temple Meads
- Replacement buses are planned between Castle Cary and Weymouth – stopping at all stations
- SWR trains at Dorchester South station will be unaffected between London Waterloo and Weymouth
Jordan Welsby, GWR Station Manager for Westbury, Wiltshire and Dorset, said:
“This improvement work forms part of an ongoing programme of maintenance, helping to ensure we can continue to provide consistent and reliable services.
“GWR will provide rail replacement services between Yeovil Pen Mill and Weymouth on Sunday 22 September, then between Castle Cary and Weymouth until Sunday 29 September.
“As an alternative, customers can also travel between Westbury and Weymouth using SWR services via Southampton Central from Monday 23 to Friday 27 September.
“However, please note that buses replace all trains via Southampton Central on the weekend of 28/29 September so this alternative will not be an option.
“It’s important customers understand these alternative arrangements will make their normal journey times longer, so do please check before you travel.”
Further work will impact train services on this route on the weekend of 2/3 November.
For the latest information, visit GWR.com/Wessex.
Class 158 at Dorchester West