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Friday 14 Nov 2025

STARTING TOMORROW: Buses to replace trains in Dorset as Network Rail carries out upgrades between Poole and Dorchester South

Region & Route:

Southern: Wessex

| Southern

Engineers will be strengthening a railway embankment in Hamworthy and improving drainage at the Poole sidings to help protect the railway from flooding and improve long-term reliability.

Customers travelling in Dorset are advised to plan ahead and allow extra time to complete their journeys as buses replace trains between Saturday 15 and Friday 21 November 2025, while Network Rail engineers carry out essential maintenance and upgrades to the railway.

During this period, engineers will re-enforce a 300m stretch of railway embankment in Hamworthy, and improve drainage at the Poole sidings to reduce the risk of flooding on the railway and improving long-term reliability.

Further west, work will take place to renew the wheel timbers—the long blocks that support the tracks—on the River Frome bridge near Wool. These will be replaced with modern Fibre-reinforced Foamed Urethane (FFU) alternatives, extending the life of the structure. Engineers will also complete footbridge improvements at Wool station.

To make sure we keep these works as sustainable as possible, we’re doing the following:

• At Wool, the crane we are using to lift the footbridge out uses Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil as fuel
• For our wheel timber renewal on the River Frome, we are using artificial wheel timbers, which reduces the need for tree-felling to provide materials
• To avoid pollution to the waterway, we are carrying out all adjustments to the wheel timbers (cutting and re-shaping) away from the river, avoiding contamination
• For our re-railing work through Morton, 45 tons of old rail and 6 tons of fastenings will be recycled instead of going to a scrap yard
• At all of our site compounds we use solar panels to help increase our use of renewal energy where possible

Changes to train services

• Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November 2025: Buses replace trains between Bournemouth and Dorchester South
• Monday 17 to Friday 21 November 2025: Buses replace trains between Poole and Dorchester South

Speaking on behalf of Network Rail and South Western Railway, George Murrell, Wessex Route Renewals Director, said: “We’re sorry for the disruption to passengers while we carry out this work, but it’s essential to keep services running safely and reliably. Our teams will be working around the clock to strengthen key parts of the railway and improve drainage in the area, helping to make the line more resilient in the years ahead.”

Passengers are advised to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with South Western Railway.

Further information about the works being carried out can be found here: Bournemouth to Dorchester Line Renewals - Network Rail