- New services to begin in December 2015 following approval from rail regulator
- 800 additional seats every weekday between London and Somerset
- Improved connectivity in the South West between Weymouth, Dorchester, Exeter, Westbury, Salisbury, Bath, Bristol and London
- Bruton and Frome connected to London Waterloo for the first time ever
- Additional Sunday services between Salisbury and London Waterloo
PERTH, Scotland, 2015-8-28 — /Travel PR News/ — South West Trains is pleased to announce that the rail regulator has approved plans that will transform rail services in the West of England. Changes will result in extra services and new links to London for many communities across the region.
The new services will provide:
- Half-hourly train services from London to Tisbury, Gillingham, Templecombe, Sherborne and Yeovil Junction between 15:20 and 19:20*
- 10 trains every week day connecting Yeovil Junction and Yeovil Pen Mill
- Two new daily services connecting Bruton directly with London for the first time
- Two new daily direct services between Castle Cary and Frome and Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction
- Yeovil Junction, Sherborne and Templecombe have two additional trains in the mid-afternoon – 13:50 from London Waterloo and 15:53 from Yeovil Junction
- Two trains per hour from Exeter to Honiton between 16:00 and 18:00**
- Yeovil Pen Mill will have six direct trains from and two trains to London Waterloo each week day
- Half- hourly service in late afternoon and early evening between Salisbury and London Waterloo
Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of South West Trains, said: “We are delighted that these plans have been approved and we will now be able to press ahead with major improvements on the West of England line from December.
“Good transport links to cities such as Salisbury and of course, our capital city, play a crucial role in helping to keep the local economy growing, and we are certain that our customers will enjoy using these new services.
“We had some great feedback from local communities and we have taken these views on board and made changes where appropriate. We would like to thank the communities for their support and we look forwarding to launching the new services as part of the December timetable change.”
The new services will be available from Monday 14December.
As well as the new and increased services, South West Trains has also introduced a rolling programme to refurbish all 30 of the class 159 trains on the West of England route. The diesel trains, which are the most reliable of their kind, will provide an improved quality of service and comfort for passengers in Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire.
Notes to the Editor:
*today it is half hourly 16:20-18:20
**currently only 2 train per hour 17:00-18:00)
Extended services:
- 12:50 Waterloo to Salisbury is extended to Yeovil Pen Mill via Frome
- 16:48 Yeovil Junction to Waterloo via Frome (attaching to 16:25 Exeter to Waterloo at Salisbury)
- 16:18 Gillingham to Waterloo starts from Yeovil Pen Mill at 15:45
- 13:50 Waterloo to Gillingham is extended to Yeovil Pen Mill
- 15:50 Waterloo to Gillingham is extended to Yeovil Pen Mill
- 16:50 Waterloo to Yeovil Junction is extended to Yeovil Pen Mill
- 17:50 Waterloo to Yeovil Junction is extended to Yeovil Pen Mill
- 18:50 Waterloo to Salisbury is extended to Yeovil Pen Mill
New services
- 16:35 Exeter St Davids to Honiton
- 17:07 Honiton to Exeter St Davids
- 16:30 Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction
- 18:30 Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction
- 19:26 Yeovil Pen Mill to Salisbury***
- 20:27 Yeovil Pen Mill to Salisbury***
- 21:30 Yeovil Pen Mill to Yeovil Junction
*** Service still subject to agreement by ORR
Summary
| Station | New services |
| Andover | Half-hourly service to London Waterloo on Sunday afternoons
More than 1000 extra seats to London on Sundays |
| Salisbury | Half-hourly service to London Waterloo on Sunday afternoons
More than 1000 extra seats to London on Sundays New express services between London and Salisbury on Sunday evenings calling at Clapham Jn only |
| Tisbury & Gillingham | Half hourly service to London Waterloo on Sunday afternoons
Additional service from London, leaving London at 18:50 |
| Templecombe | Additional weekday service to London Waterloo at 16:10
Half hourly service from London between 15:20 and 19:20 Three additional services from London, departing Waterloo at 13:50, 15:50 and 18:50 Five direct services each weekday to Yeovil Pen Mill |
| Sherborne | Additional weekday service to London Waterloo at 16:02
Half hourly service from London between 15:20 and 19:20 Three additional services from London, departing Waterloo at 13:50, 15:50 and 18:50 Five direct services to Yeovil Pen Mill at 13:50, 15:50, 16:50, 17:50, 18:50 to connect with the Weymouth line |
| Yeovil
Junction & Pen Mill |
Additional two weekday services to London Waterloo at 15:55 and 16:48
Half hourly service from London between 12:20 and 19:20 (except 14:50) Three extra evening services to give almost hourly service on the Heart of Wessex line between Yeovil Pen Mill and Westbury in the evenings until the last train |
| Honiton, Exeter Central & Exeter St David’s | One additional evening peak train to Honiton at 16:35 from Exeter
A first step towards Devon Metro 2 trains per hour to Honiton |
| Bruton | Direct trains to/from London for the first time
Direct trains to/from Salisbury, Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction Three additional week day trains to Salisbury |
| Frome & Castle Cary | Direct trains to/from London Waterloo
Direct trains to/from Salisbury, Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction Three additional week day trains to Salisbury |
| Westbury & Warminster | One additional service from London Waterloo at 12:50
One additional service to London Waterloo in the early evening Three additional trains to Salisbury in the evening |
Contact information
Sian Freestone-Walker
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