From Monday 5 September, South Western Railway (SWR) will be introducing a temporary reduced timetable on the West of England line.
This revised timetable will enable SWR to operate a resilient service for customers after an Emergency Speed Restriction was put in place between Gillingham in Dorset and Tisbury in Wiltshire by Network Rail engineers.
The extremely hot and dry weather experienced recently has caused the clay embankments to dry out and shrink - leaving the track on top uneven and trains unable to travel at full speed.
South Western Railway (SWR) is urging customers only to travel by rail if absolutely necessary between Thursday 18 and Sunday 21 August due to the planned industrial action.
Customers should expect severe disruption on the network and, if they must travel on any of those days, should seek to do so by other means.
SWR has published its strike days service levels for Thursday 18 August and Saturday 20 August, which will provide a severely reduced service on the routes Network Rail has made available.
Significant parts of the network will be closed entirely and...
Dedicated to the man in his mid-fifties that hopped on the GWR train 24.7.22 in the afternoon that embarked around Truro and hopped off at Exeter. Wearing a black, long sleeved t-shirt, jeans, and brown shoes. Sitting in coach H seat 62 on the aisle.
South Western Railway (SWR) has announced the phased rollout of body-worn cameras for staff on board trains and at stations across most of its network.
The cameras are being introduced to deter and reduce anti-social behaviour on trains and stations, as well as to act as a deterrent to assaults, threats and abuse experienced by staff.
After an initial trial for staff working out of Fratton depot launched in June 2021, the cameras are currently being integrated into operations at Bournemouth, Richmond, Weymouth, Farnham, Woking, Eastleigh, Portsmouth, and Guildford, and...
A new pedestrian and cycle bridge has been lifted into place as part of the development of Marsh Barton railway station .
The installation of the 16-metre span structure over the railway line, which took place in the early hours of Saturday (26 February) morning, is a major milestone in the project.
Devon County Council has been working closely with Network Rail and GWR to time the bridge lift to coincide with a pre-planned weekend closure of the line.
Work over the coming months will now focus on the approaches to the bridge, as well as access and emergency...
South Western Railway (SWR) has completed the installation of Co Bikes docking stations plus 30 e-bikes at Cranbrook and Honiton stations, launching a new eco-friendly onward travel option for their customers.
The e-bikes, supplied by Co Bikes, will provide SWR customers with a green and efficient transport alternative, helping to tackle congestion on roads, improve air quality and give locals and visitors alike an alternative way of travelling around Exeter and East Devon.
Over £200,000 has been invested in the schemes, which has become available through a network of...
South Western Railway (SWR) today announced that it will be introducing a new timetable from Monday 21 February that will see train services return to pre-Omicron levels.
The move comes as improving staff availability means that SWR can increase the number of trains it runs without compromising reliability for customers. The uplift is timely as more people return to the railway following the government’s work from home instruction being lifted.
The timetable will be almost identical to the one that served customers in December 2021, meaning that a whole host of services...
Work on Marsh Barton railway station is progressing well and remains on track for completion next winter.
Construction on the station, which is located near the Energy from Waste plant on the eastern edge of Marsh Barton, started last spring.
Development of the two platforms is ongoing and concrete piles and pile caps have been completed on both platforms. Concrete beams and slabs have been installed on platform one.
Work is underway on the foundations for the pedestrian and cycle bridge which is due to be installed in the coming months. This bridge will provide...
From Monday 17 January 2022, South Western Railway (SWR) will be introducing a new timetable, which is designed to ensure reliability for customers and cater to key workers, school pupils and those who cannot work from home.
The emergence of Omicron has necessitated the need for a new temporary timetable, with staff shortages across SWR having led to unavoidable short-notice cancellations. With current guidance to work from home, this timetable will sufficiently meet current demand.
Rigorous planning has gone into developing this timetable to deliver the right level of...
Over the past seven years 8 significant improvements have been made to the rail infrastructure and facilities in the Exeter area, on the whole leading to better train services for the whole community.
Firstly, the introduction of newer rolling stock with the phasing out of the old Class 140 and 142 diesel units and replacement with Class 150/2s, 158s and 159s. These are now in regular use on the branch lines in and around the city.
In addition, some former 7/8 carriage HST sets have been transformed into shorter units, often running regional routes such as Cardiff –...
