The Heart of Wessex Line faces disruption. Buses replace trains between Yeovil and Castle Cary and Weymouth.
Network Rail needs to make key fixes to improve the railway near Yeovil. Buses replace trains between Yeovil and Castle Cary. This runs from March 10 to March 14, Monday to Friday, adding about thirty more minutes to your trip.
On March 15 and 16, Saturday and Sunday, expect more changes. Buses replace trains between Weymouth and Castle Cary, and these trips will take about seventy-five more minutes. Previous work closed the line by Westbury around Christmas.
Last September, workers replaced track near Yeovil. In 2023, they worked near Maiden Newton. The current work helps keep services running well.
From March 10 to 14, buses go between Castle Cary and Yeovil while trains still run between Yeovil and Weymouth. Then, buses replace trains between Castle Cary and Weymouth on the weekend.
You can use your ticket on SWR trains through Southampton if you are going to Weymouth, Upwey or Dorchester. Remember, these changes make trips much longer, so plan your travel early!
Engineers will replace lots of ballast, 850 tonnes on a track section measuring 250 metres long. This stops the track from flooding.
While the line’s closed, they’ll do other jobs, including fixing signals at Yeovil train station. This will reduce the chance of signal failures.
They will also cut down dangerous trees near the Yeovil area. Workers will maintain the track by Maiden Newton, and they will lift and realign the track.