A train timetable has been cut because soil along the route is too dry. South Western Railway (SWR) said it has "no alternative" but to run reduced services from London Waterloo to Devon.
This is because a lack of moisture in clay soil embankments has disturbed track levels, preventing trains from safely travelling at full speed. This year saw the second driest spring on record for England, while summer rainfall has been just below average across the UK.
Speed limits cut dramatically
SWR said the dry conditions have removed moisture from embankments between Gillingham in Dorset and Axminster in Devon, causing them to shrink. This has disturbed the track sitting above these embankments, so the speed limit for trains on a 12-mile stretch has been cut from 85mph to 40mph.
From August 11 until further notice there will only be one train every two hours from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids, Devon - reduced from one per hour - which will take approximately one hour longer than usual. One train per hour will operate from London Waterloo to Yeovil Junction, Somerset, with journey times extended by around 25 minutes.
Further restrictions may follow
SWR warned that dry conditions are "set to continue", so further speed restrictions "may be required". Attempting to stabilise the track now would "only provide a short-lived fix as the soil continues to move", it added.
SWR chief operating officer Stuart Meek said: "We are very sorry for the disruption that customers will experience due to this change, as we know just how important the West of England line is to the communities it serves. We have not taken this decision lightly and we recognise the impact that it will have on customers west of Yeovil in particular."
Safety remains top priority
He added: "However, to continue operating a safe and reliable service, we have no alternative but to introduce a reduced timetable. We always aim to minimise disruption and so, together with our colleagues at Network Rail, we will carefully monitor train performance and work hard to give customers a service that they can rely on. We encourage customers to plan ahead via our website and allow extra time to complete their journeys."
Network Rail operations director Tom Desmond said: "The safety of our customers is our number one priority, which is why we must impose these speed restrictions between Gillingham and Axminster. We want to give customers the longest notice possible of timetable changes, and following a comprehensive analysis of ground and track conditions, we know that we must make changes in the next two weeks."
Services restored to Somerset
He added: "We have worked closely with our colleagues at South Western Railway to understand the impact of the speed restrictions, and we will regularly review conditions in order to restore the normal timetable as soon as possible." The amended timetable will restore services to Crewkerne, Somerset which has been served by buses since July 28 because of dried out embankments.
SWR became the first operator brought into public ownership by the Labour Government in May.
(PA) Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
