Easter Rail Shutdown as Track Renewal Closes West of England Line

Passengers travelling on the West of England Line over the Easter weekend are being warned of disruption as Network Rail carries out essential track replacement work near Axminster.

Engineering teams will be renewing a section of railway that runs through Seaton Junction, located to the west of Axminster station. The work is scheduled to take place from Friday 3 April through to Monday 6 April and will require the closure of the line between Yeovil Junction and Honiton.

During the closure, buses will replace trains between Yeovil Junction and Honiton throughout the day, calling at Crewkerne and Axminster. From 18:00 each evening, the replacement bus service will extend further along the route, operating between Yeovil Junction and Exeter Central. Two buses will run on this route, with both calling at Crewkerne, Axminster, Honiton and Exeter Central, while one will also stop at Cranbrook and Pinhoe.

Train services from London Waterloo to Exeter St Davids will terminate at Yeovil Junction during the works. To maintain connections further west, a shuttle train service will operate between Honiton and Exeter St Davids during daytime hours.

Services from Honiton to Exeter will run between 08:14 and 18:14, while trains in the opposite direction from Exeter to Honiton will operate between 07:25 and 17:25. On Sunday 5 April the shuttle service will start later than usual but will still finish at the same time.

The renewal work is required because the track at Seaton Junction has reached the end of its operational life. Engineers will remove the worn infrastructure and install new track before using specialist machinery known as a tamper to align the rails and ballast correctly to ensure a smooth and reliable ride.

While the railway is closed, teams will also carry out additional inspections in the Crewkerne area, including checking drainage systems and examining nearby structures to ensure the continued safe operation of trains.

George Murrell, Route Renewals Director speaking on behalf of South Western Railway and Network Rail Wessex, said:

“We are sorry to be closing the West of England Line between Yeovil Junction and Honiton this weekend. We understand that the railway is important to the communities we serve on this line and we have endeavoured to minimise the disruption this closure will bring. This essential work will help improve reliability and future journeys for passengers."

Image: Network Rail