Trains between Yeovil and Castle Cary will be disrupted for a week in March due to essential rail maintenance.
Network Rail needs to fix things. They want better track reliability and hope to prevent flooding issues. Engineers will replace track parts and use 850 tonnes of ballast. This supports a 250-metre track section.
They’ll fix signals at Yeovil Pen Mill station, which should prevent signal failures. Hazardous trees will be removed, as they can block the tracks. Some track realignment occurs in Maiden Newton.
A full week closure is better than many weekends. Buses will replace trains during the week. This impacts travel between Castle Cary and Yeovil. Expect about 30 minutes extra on your trip.
The weekend bus service extends to Weymouth, adding about 75 minutes to your journey. South Western Railway offers another route via Southampton Central instead. Plan ahead to avoid hassles.
They’ve been improving this line since 2020. This includes bridge replacements, signal box work and upgrading tracks at various stations. Just recently, they replaced a mile of track near Yeovil in September.