After two months of disrupted train services between Salisbury and Exeter St. David's with fewer trains running at lower speeds, a full service has been restored as of today, Monday, 14th November.
The cause of the disruptions was because of this summer's record-breaking hot and dry weather, which caused the clay-based track bed to shrink, resulting in the rails becoming uneven and too bumpy for trains to run at full speed. Consequently, speed restrictions of 40mph were imposed near Tisbury, and at Gillingham and Axminster.
With the return of cooler temperatures and regular rainfall, the track bed stopped shrinking, which has allowed engineers to restore track levels to their correct alignment.
The problems were caused by the soil being largely clay-based, which in hot and dry conditions shrinks as trees and other vegetation absorbs the water. The condition is known as Soil Moisture Deficit and as the soil shrinks unevenly, the track laid on top loses its level profile.
Across the Southern region of Network Rail there are around 6,000 embankments built from clay. A 4-mile section in Tisbury is the longest of these, and as there is only a single track which is used by trains travelling in both directions, any delays caused by trains travelling slowly in one direction means that services going the opposite way must wait, and any delays will be compounded.
During December, services in the area will be disrupted again whilst the track is renewed to improve reliability. The work will take place between Saturday, 10th and Sunday, 18th December, and services between Salisbury and Exeter St. David's will be diverted via Westbury. Rail-replacement buses will serve Tisbury, Gillingham (Dorset), Templecombe, and Sherborne.
During the closure, the track win the Gillingham area ill be replaced, improvements will be made to Gillingham and Sherborne stations. and drainage improved in the Sherborne, Templecombe, and Gillingham areas. Track maintenance will also be carried out in the Gillingham and Sherborne areas, and graffiti removed and litter cleared from the line at Salisbury.
Mark Killick, Network Rail's route director for Wessex, said: “We're still suffering the after-effects of a record-breaking summer on our railway, but I'm pleased to say that we're now able to have trains running at full speed again, and I'm so grateful for customers for bearing with us.
“We've invested tens of millions of pounds on the West of England Line in the last two years by strengthening railway cuttings and renewing track and switches and crossings. As well as December's track renewals, we've got even more planned in 2023 and 2024, demonstrating our commitment to all of the customers who use this line every year.”
Claire Mann, South Western Railway's managing director, said: “I am sorry to all those customers whose journeys were affected as we waited for weather conditions to improve to enable Network Rail to safely remove the speed restrictions. We're looking forward to implementing a full timetable and providing the quality services that our customers deserve.”
