Rail services resume following major embankment repairs in south west

Network Rail has completed a weekend of emergency engineering work across parts of the south west after two separate landslips threatened the stability of the railway.

Services were suspended on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January on routes between Crewkerne and Exeter St Davids in Devon, and between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier in Hampshire, while engineers carried out urgent repairs. Rail replacement buses were put in place as teams worked to reinforce vulnerable embankments.

At Axminster, attention focused on a 20-metre section of embankment that had been undermined. Engineers constructed a retaining wall at the base of the slope using large interlocking rocks, known as rock armour, designed to prevent further movement and secure the earth above.

The scale of the repair required 1,600 tonnes of stone to be delivered from Poole to Axminster. Transporting the material by rail rather than road cut carbon emissions by 88%, with rail freight significantly cleaner than using lorries and capable of moving far larger quantities in a single trip.

From this week, starting 19 January, trains will begin running over the affected section at a reduced speed of 5mph while the site is closely monitored. Although a normal timetable will operate, the temporary speed restriction will remain in place until engineers are satisfied it is safe for trains to return to full line speed.

Further east, on the Lymington Branch Line near Battramsley, engineers responded to a smaller landslip by stabilising a short stretch of track. A steel wall was driven deep into the ground to support the embankment, with sheet piles forming a rigid barrier to hold the slope in place.

The line closure allowed teams to rebuild the supporting ground beneath the track and replace ballast, restoring the strength and stability of the railway. An hourly service is running between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier on 19 and 20 January, ahead of the return of a full timetable once restoration work is complete. Overnight, a tamper is being used to realign the track to its correct position.

Speaking on behalf of Network Rail and South Western Railway, Infrastructure Director, Tom McNamee, said:

“I would like to thank our passengers for bearing with us while we carried out these emergency works. Safety is our number one priority and, while we tried to avoid closing the railway, the recent wet weather and Storm Goretti left us with no choice but to get our teams to come in and carry out these vital repairs.”

Image: Network Rail