| Yeovil - Weymouth closure Feb-March 2026 Posted by John D at 07:54, 13th February 2026 |     |
There was a week long closure early March last year.
Seems to have become annual event, Network Rail closing line for work 28 Feb - 8 March
Buses will be replacing trains between Yeovil Pen Mill and Weymouth on the Heart of Wessex Line between 28 February and 8 March.
A rail replacement bus service will run, calling at all stations between Yeovil Pen Mill and Dorchester West before continuing to Weymouth. Buses are unable to stop at Upwey so passengers will need to use South Western Railway train services from Weymouth.
During this time, Network Rail engineers will be working to strengthen the embankments between Chetnole and Maiden Newton around the Evershot Tunnel. To do this, the team will be cutting through soil and rock to stabilise the slope by using soil nails and netting.
This work will protect the railway from landslips, which could cause longer closures as well as posing safety risks to our passengers.
Engineers will be taking advantage of the closure to:
Stress test the continuous welded rail to improve reliability, reducing the need for speed restrictions in hotter months
Carry out minor improvements to the track in the Thornford area following recent track renewal in September 2024
Carefully manage vegetation by selecting dead, dying and diseased trees that could cause delays to the running of trains between Chetnole and Maiden Newton stations
A rail replacement bus service will run, calling at all stations between Yeovil Pen Mill and Dorchester West before continuing to Weymouth. Buses are unable to stop at Upwey so passengers will need to use South Western Railway train services from Weymouth.
During this time, Network Rail engineers will be working to strengthen the embankments between Chetnole and Maiden Newton around the Evershot Tunnel. To do this, the team will be cutting through soil and rock to stabilise the slope by using soil nails and netting.
This work will protect the railway from landslips, which could cause longer closures as well as posing safety risks to our passengers.
Engineers will be taking advantage of the closure to:
Stress test the continuous welded rail to improve reliability, reducing the need for speed restrictions in hotter months
Carry out minor improvements to the track in the Thornford area following recent track renewal in September 2024
Carefully manage vegetation by selecting dead, dying and diseased trees that could cause delays to the running of trains between Chetnole and Maiden Newton stations
https://www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk/news/two-weeks-to-go-network-rail-engineers-to-carry-out-embankment-works-as-part-of-upgrading-the-railway-in-dorset-2
There is more information on improvements to Heart of Wessex line here
https://www.networkrail.co.uk/our-work/our-routes/wessex/heart-of-the-wessex-line-upgrades/
