TRAINS will be running on a reduced timetable between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids due to a lack of rain which has caused embankments to shrink.

South Western Railway has announced the change, which starts from Monday August 11, and will continue until further notice.

One train every two hours will run between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids, reduced from one train per hour.

These services will also take one hour longer.

The temporary timetable is designed to provide customers with a reliable service while trains adhere to speed restrictions, the result of a condition known as soil moisture deficit.

According to the Met Office, the spring of 2025 was the UK’s warmest and sunniest since 1910 and saw the least amount of rain since 1976.

Continuing into summer, the extremely dry conditions have removed moisture in clay soil embankments between Gillingham in Dorset and Axminster in Devon, causing them to shrink.

Track that sits above these embankments has been disturbed, so speed restrictions are being imposed for the safety of passing trains. Instead of travelling at a maximum of 85mph, trains will be forced to travel at 40mph.

Most of the route west of Salisbury is made of single track, with only a small number of places for trains travelling in opposite directions to pass each other. With speed restrictions stretching over 12 miles, trains will not be able to pass each other at their allotted times, and it will not be possible to run services to the normal timetable.

Dry conditions are set to continue, so it is possible further speed restrictions will be required. Attempting to stabilise the track now would only provide a short-lived fix, as the soil continues to move.

Once soil moisture levels improve and the ground begins to rehydrate and settle, engineers will carry out lasting repairs to stabilise the embankments and restore track levels, allowing the normal timetable to return.

Hourly train services between London Waterloo and Yeovil Junction will also take 25 minutes longer.

The amended timetable will restore train services to Crewkerne, which has been served by buses since Monday 28 July.

Crewkerne will be served once every two hours by trains between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids.

Stuart Meek, South Western Railway’s Chief Operating Officer, 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.

‘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.’

Tom Desmond, Operations Director for Network Rail, 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.

‘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.’