Weymouth train services back to normal as major railway improvements finished
A 16 day line closures has been in place in Dorset and Wiltshire while major alterations were carried out
Major improvements to the railway line between Weymouth, Yeovil and Dorchester have now been finished.
It follows 16 days of line closures in Dorset and Wiltshire.
The ‘Heart of Wessex’ line, which connects Weymouth with Bristol Temple Meads on the Great Western Railway (GWR) network, was closed on the 18th November, as engineers installed brand new track and performed vital maintenance.
Improvements to Upwey Station
At Upwey station, engineers used the country’s only Railvac to remove ballast supporting the track. The Railvac uses a high-powered vacuum to suck up large volumes of ballast, which through Upwey had become contaminated due to rainwater that had mixed with clay beneath.
The track was then lowered slightly to improve its level and ensure that trains can continue travelling at full speed through the area.
New track
Between Chetnole and Yetminster, where just under one mile of new track was needed, engineers used a New Track Construction train, which lays new rails and sleepers as it travels. In total, more than four miles of new sleepers, rails and ballast was installed from Maiden Newton to Yetminster. Some track in the area dated back to 1958.
Customers thanked for their patience
Network Rail Wessex route director Mark Killick said: “We’re so grateful to customers and people who living close to the railway for their patience over the last few weeks. Sixteen days is a long time to close the railway but we’ve delivered much better track, improved two stations and performed vital maintenance that will keep trains running on time. The alternative to this closure would have been many months of weekend disruption which would have affected many more journeys.
“The new track we’ve laid will last us many decades into the future and I’m confident that people will notice a difference this week as they enjoy travelling by train again.”
Great Western Railway’s Station Manager for Westbury, Wiltshire and Dorset, James Wilcox, said: “We are grateful to our customers for their patience while this important work has been completed. We are thankful so much has been achieved by Network Rail during the 16-day period, allowing us to continue to operate services on this key route between Somerset and Dorset for years to come.”
Line closures
Between Monday 22nd and Friday 26th November, the line from Weymouth to Dorchester South on the South Western Railway (SWR) network was also closed to allow engineers to complete a total of more than 30 jobs at eight different locations.
Making the most of the quiet time on the railway, Weymouth and Upwey stations also benefitted from improvement work. Both stations had new tactile paving installed on platforms to assist visually-impaired passengers, while Weymouth station was also cleaned and re-painted.
All work was completed on time with trains running as normal from Saturday 4 December.