Engineering work that caused a week-long disruption to train services between Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary has been completed and services between Castle Cary, Yeovil Pen Mill and Weymouth have now returned to normal.

The closure was necessary to allow Network Rail engineers to carry out essential improvements, including:

• Replacing 850 tonnes of ballast along a 250-metre stretch of track to help prevent flooding of the track bed which could lead to failures and rough rides for passengers.
• Repairing semaphore signals at Yeovil Pen Mill station (see image below) to reduce the risk of failures.
• Cutting down and removing dead, diseased, and dangerous trees in the Yeovil area to reduce the risk of the line being blocked by falling trees, and leaves falling onto the line to minimise delays to train services.
• Carrying out track maintenance, including tamping in the Maiden Newton area to ensure smooth and reliable journeys. Tamping involves engineers using a tamping machine to lift the track slightly and packing new ballast under the sleepers, after which the track is realigned using laser measurements.
• Upgrading the track in the Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary area is part of an ongoing programme by Network Rail to help ensure reliable services.

In September last year, the line between Castle Cary and Weymouth was closed to allow Network Rail engineers to replace track at Thornford in Dorset.

Mark Goodall, Wessex Route Director for Network Rail “I would like to thank passengers for their patience and understanding while we carried out this essential engineering works on the Heart of Wessex Line. We apologise for disrupting passengers who travel between Somerset and the Dorset coast and know that these week-long closures are frustrating for all concerned. This closure is part of our commitment to preserve the line and provide a more reliable service for our passengers.”