Next week, services on the Heart of Wessex line between Yeovil Pen Mill and Weymouth will be disrupted when the line is closed whilst engineers renew a section of track.

The closure will take place from Monday, 16 to Friday 20 October, and buses will replace Great Western Railway (GWR) train services.

The closure is required as Network Rail engineers will be working around the clock to replace around 758 metres of outdated 1950s track between Maiden Newton and Chetnole in Cattistock.

The track being replaced is of an older style that has caused a number of speed restrictions to be put in place during warmer weather. The modern track will also help to ensure customers have a smoother and more reliable journey.

At the same time as the track is being replaced, engineers will be erecting scaffolding at Evershot tunnel so that the brickwork can be repaired and repointed.

Earlier this year, between February and March, there were two contiguous closures of the line between Castle Cary/Yeovil Pen Mill and Weymouth when Network Rail engineers completed multiple improvements, including:

• At Thornford, renewing over 1,800 metres of track through the station, including the replacement of old wooden sleepers with new concrete sleepers that are more durable;
• At Maiden Newton, refurbishing the station, including repairing the canopies and repainting the station building;
• At Yeovil Pen Mill station, installing new tactile paving;
• At various places along the line, clearing overgrown vegetation and completing maintenance on key pieces of railway infrastructure.

Last September, the line was also closed to allow the track between Maiden Newton and Chetnole stations to be renewed, and essential maintenance to be carried out at Yeovil Pen Mill, Yetminster, and Dorchester West

Oliver Frost, Network Rail project director, said: “We’re looking forward to continuing our programme of work to improve the reliability of the Heart of Wessex line next month.

“This is an important stretch of railway and over the last three years we’ve invested a significant amount to bring smoother and more reliable journeys for our customers travelling between Somerset and Dorset.

“We’re always finding ways to be more cost-effective and reduce the level of disruption to train services during our upgrade work. These slightly longer line closures enable us to carry out a wider range of work simultaneously which prevents the need for regular, smaller closures of the railway which would be more disruptive to customers.

“I’d like to thank customers and nearby residents in advance for their patience and understanding while we complete this work.

Jordan Welsby, Great Western Railway’s station manager for the Westbury, Wiltshire, and Dorset area, said: “This forms part of an ongoing programme of improvements that will enable us to maintain services for our customers travelling between Somerset and Dorset for years to come.

“We will provide alternative road transport between Yeovil Pen Mill, Dorchester West and Weymouth from Monday 16 to Friday 20 October.

“In addition, we have also agreed ticket acceptance on South Western Railway (SWR) services to ensure customers can still complete their journeys during this time.”