South Western Railway improves West of England timetable

South Western Railway’s (SWR) December 2023 timetable will increase the number of direct, weekday services to and from London Waterloo on the West of England Line. 

Direct services on the line that connects London Waterloo with Salisbury, Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids were reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Those reductions almost halved the number of direct, off-peak services between London Waterloo, Andover and Salisbury, while customers travelling off-peak from London Waterloo to Overton, Whitchurch and Grateley must currently change at Basingstoke and wait up to 30 minutes for an onward connection. 

However, following an increase in customer numbers, SWR is introducing a new timetable from Sunday December 10 that will see ten services on the West of England Line extended to and from London Waterloo on weekdays. 

Two services will be extended to London Waterloo from East Devon, providing customers between Honiton and Basingstoke with two, and customers between Exeter and Honiton with one, additional direct service to the capital. 

Customers travelling to Yeovil will also see an uplift in direct services. SWR is the only operator to provide direct services between London and the Somerset town, and customers will soon have three extended, direct services to Yeovil Junction, and two to Yeovil Pen Mill, per weekday. 

Timetable changes for services to London Waterloo: 

Honiton at 0620, calling at all stations to Basingstoke and additionally at Woking, arriving at London Waterloo at 0918

Exeter St Davids at 0641, calling at all stations to Basingstoke and additionally at Woking and Clapham Junction, arriving at London Waterloo at 1020 

Steve Tyler, Planning and Performance Director for South Western Railway, said: “We’re delighted to increase the number of through services between London Waterloo and stations west of Basingstoke on weekdays, which were reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Simon Jupp, Member of Parliament for East Devon and Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Transport said: "This very welcome improvement in South Western Railway services towards London is fantastic news, particularly for residents of the South West who will have faster and more convenient journeys during the week. 

“The frequency of services is something I’ve raised with South Western Railway and I’ve no doubt these improvements will encourage more people to travel by train."