Weekend rail disruption in Exeter

South Western Railway (SWR) is urging passengers to plan ahead for disruptions on Sunday 2 and Sunday 9 February, due to essential engineering work in the Wimbledon and Portsmouth areas.

On both Sundays, services between London Waterloo and Exeter, plus other key destinations, will be affected, with some routes taking approximately 30 minutes longer than usual.

Engineers will renew approximately 800 metres of track, ballast, and sleepers between Wimbledon and Earlsfield. They will also replace points (moveable sections of track that allow trains to move from one line to another) and install 100 meters of conductor rail, which powers the trains. The upgrades are expected to improve the reliability of services and offer smoother journeys in the future.

Services affected include:

- London Waterloo to Weymouth and Exeter will be diverted, taking around 30 minutes longer.

- Some London Waterloo to Exeter services will start from Basingstoke.

- London Waterloo to Poole and Portsmouth Harbour services on 2 February will be diverted, calling additionally at Farnborough.

- On 9 February, services to Portsmouth Harbour will be replaced by buses between Fareham and Portsmouth.

Further disruptions are expected in Portsmouth on 9 February, with additional bus replacements between Havant and Portsmouth.

SWR’s suburban network will also experience changes, with many services replaced by buses. Passengers are advised to check their journeys via their website. 

Peter Williams, SWR’s Customer and Commercial Director, said: “We’re advising customers to plan ahead for these essential maintenance works, which will result in revised or diverted services. We appreciate the patience of our customers as we make these improvements.”

Mark Goodall, Network Rail’s Wessex Route Director, added: “We understand the inconvenience this may cause, but completing these works on consecutive Sundays is the most efficient option for the taxpayer.”