Network Rail engineers worked throughout the weekend to fix two landslips in the South West, allowing train services to recommence.

On Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 January, replacement buses operated between Crewkerne and Exeter St Davids in Devon, and between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier in Hampshire, while teams reinforced railway embankments.

At Axminster, a 20-metre section of embankment was secured by constructing a retaining wall of interlocking rock armour at its base. This barrier holds the slope in place and prevents further ground movement.

The work required 1,600 tonnes of stone to be transported by rail from Poole to Axminster, cutting carbon emissions by 88% compared with moving the material by road. Rail freight is around eight times cleaner than lorries and can haul far larger loads in a single trip.

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This week, commencing 19 January, the site will be closely monitored for safety. Trains are running to the normal timetable but are limited to 5mph over the affected section. The speed restriction will be removed once it is confirmed safe to run at line speed.

On the Lymington Branch, south of the New Forest, emergency works near Battramsley stabilised a short stretch of track following a minor landslip.

Engineers installed a deep steel sheet-pile wall to support the embankment beneath the track, creating a solid barrier to hold the slope and prevent further movement.

The closure also enabled teams to rebuild the supporting ground and replace the ballast that secures the track, essential steps to restore the railway’s strength and stability.

An hourly service is operating between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier today and tomorrow (19 and 20 January). A full timetable will resume once engineers are satisfied the track has been fully restored. Overnight, a tamper will pass through the line to return the track to its correct alignment.

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."