COMMUTERS are being warned of train delays when the line between Dorchester West and Castle Cary is shut for five days in February for vital repairs.

Buses will replace trains between the two stations from Monday, February 15 and Friday, February 19, while engineers carry out works to help maintain reliability on the Bristol to Weymouth line, also known as the ‘Heart of Wessex’ line.

South of Yeovil Pen Mill station, engineers will remove loose material from the rockface of the railway cutting, install 250 metres of new lineside fencing and install equipment to monitor the cutting remotely.

Mark Killick, Network Rail Wessex route director, said: “This vital work will improve the reliability of the railway between Dorchester West and Castle Cary, which provides an important route for local communities.

“Closing the railway for five days means we can complete more work than over a series of weekend closures and would like to thank passengers for their continued patience as our engineers carry out this much-needed maintenance.”

Yeovil Pen Mill signal box, which controls signalling between Castle Cary and Dorchester West, is one of the country’s few remaining semaphore signal boxes, using levers to switch sets of points and lower and raise signal arms. At Yeovil Pen Mill station, engineers will replace sleepers that support the rails, which means teams will need to navigate historic signalling rods positioned alongside the railway and used to control the station’s semaphore signals.

Structural engineers will also use the time to conduct a thorough inspection of a bridge crossing the River Yeo, using cameras mounted on a Road Rail Vehicle.

Passengers should note that a separate closure will see buses replace trains between Bournemouth and Weymouth on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21.