Rail services cut due to effects of dry weather

A rail operator has confirmed timetable changes and reduced speeds due to the dry weather.

From 10 August, South Western Railway (SWR) will halve the number of trains between Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids, as part of alterations on the West of England line to London Waterloo.

The issue is clay soil shrinkage on rail embankments, which causes the tracks on top to buckle.

The same problem reduced services on the line from August to November 2025.

The new timetable maintains trains every 30 minutes from London Waterloo to Salisbury and an hourly service to Yeovil Junction.

However, trains will only be extended to Exeter St Davids every other hour.

Journeys will take slightly longer due to reduced speeds between Honiton and Tisbury, SWR said.

Lawrence Bowman, managing director of SWR and Network Rail Wessex, apologised for the disruption.

He said: "This is the second year in a row that prolonged hot, dry weather has affected our network.

"Since last summer's intervention, we've invested in strengthening the route, carried out extensive work to the track and embankments, and developed a plan that customers can rely on.

"As a result of that careful planning, we've managed to reduce journey times in our amended timetable by around 30 minutes compared to last year."

The shrinkage - known as Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD) - is already running at a higher level than in 2025, according to SWR data.

SWR train driver Peter Cook said it was noticeable from his cab.

He said: "You can tell when rails are moving and you can see that from a long line away. And at greater speeds it's more exaggerated."

Anne Browne, from SWR and Network Rail, said SMD problems were a sign of climate change.

She said SWR was working with the University of Southampton on potential long-term solutions, which could involve changes to track materials or embankment vegetation.

The West of England line, which connects London with parts of Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Somerset and Wiltshire, includes single-track sections with passing loops, making it prone to delays.

The section between Honiton and Tisbury is "particularly vulnerable" to drought-like conditions, SWR said.

It can take weeks or even months for soil moisture levels to return to normal, the operator added.

Timetable changes due to SMD have already been announced on routes through part of East Anglia from Monday.