Rail services back to normal thanks to rain and cooler weather

SERVICES on the West of England line between Salisbury and Exeter St Davids returned to normal yesterday after two months of fewer trains and reduced speeds.

Speed restrictions of 40mph had been in place near Tisbury, Gillingham and Axminster as the claybased track bed shrank in the record-breaking hot and dry summer, leaving the rails uneven and too bumpy for trains to run at full speed.

Work by engineers has restored track levels, helped by cooler temperatures and regular rain which has stopped the track bed shrinking, allowing the speed restrictions to be lifted.

To thank customers for their patience, South Western Railway (SWR) is offering £5 vouchers to use at most catering establishments along the line, valid until Wednesday November 23.

Claire Mann, managing director of SWR, 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.”

In a separate project, engineers will return to the area to renew track and improve reliability between Saturday December 10 and Sunday December 18.