From November 29th, Network Rail and South Western Railway will reinstate the full West of England Line timetable.

Following the driest spring on record, which necessitated an amended timetable in August, the line is set to resume hourly services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids.

The lack of rain caused much of the clay embankments between Gillingham (Dorset) and Axminster (Devon) to shrink, resulting in ‘Soil Moisture Deficit’

As a result, tracks became disturbed, leading to a speed restriction. This restriction also meant that trains could not pass each other in the typical location, and the number of trains running was reduced.

The hottest summer also didn’t help the moisture levels, so engineers were unable to make the necessary repairs, which would have lasted and not required further disruption. If they had made the repairs during the summer, they would have had to return in a few months.

With the track no longer moving due to the shrinkage and the autumn weather bringing rain, causing the embankments to stabilise, they can now complete the work.

South Western Railway is also offering 20,000 advanced fare tickets for journeys such as:

• Templecombe and Gillingham (Dorset) for £13
• Yeovil, Sherborne and Crewkerne for £14
• Axminster, Honiton and Exeter for £15.30.

These fares are now available and can be found on their website.

Once the work is completed, the speed restrictions will be lifted and the timetable reinstated.

Journey planners are now up to date, so passengers can check before they travel.

“We can confirm that we are set to restore the full timetable on the West of England Line on Saturday 29 November. We know just how important this line is to its local communities, with our customers using services to reach their places of work, or local schools and colleges.

“We have closely monitored ground conditions and are now able to start track repairs. Once those repairs are complete, trains will be able to run at full line speeds, bringing the full timetable back into operation.

“We are very grateful to our customers for their continued patience and would like to sincerely apologise for the disruption they have experienced since August.”

Tom Desmond, Network Rail’s Wessex Route Operations Director, speaking on behalf of South Western Railway and Network Rail