Rail services in parts of England are cut as tracks disturbed by lack of moisture

Source: Guardian

Rail services in parts of southern England are being reduced because embankments have shrunk and disturbed the track after the sunniest spring in more than a century.

Trains are unable to travel at full speed over embankments in Dorset and Devon that have contracted because of a lack of moisture in the soil.

In the latest example of extreme weather affecting the UK’s railways, South Western Railway (SWR) said that for a safe and reliable service it had no alternative but to reduce the number of trains running.

Journeys from London Waterloo to Exeter will take an hour longer, with trains running at 40mph instead of 85mph for sections of the route.

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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/aug/04/rail-services-england-cut-dry-embankments-disturb-track