CONTROVERSIAL changes to train timetables which saw some direct services to London scrapped are set to be reversed.

The call to restore direct trains to London from communities including Weymouth, Dorchester and Sherborne was made at Prime Minister's Questions by West Dorset MP Chris Loder who has been campaigning for better rail services.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson indicated the normal timetable with direct trains would be resuming in two weeks - although it is not clear how much influence the Government has had on the rail company's decision.

A temporary train timetable was introduced to a number of South Western Railway (SWR) services on January 17, which split the Waterloo to Weymouth services at Bournemouth, temporarily cutting off south Dorset from any direct trains to and from London and slashing the frequency of trains by half anywhere west of Bournemouth. This also happened on the Waterloo-Exeter line west of Salisbury.

SWR said the emergence of Omicron necessitated the need for a new temporary timetable, with staff shortages across SWR having led to unavoidable short-notice cancellations.

At Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday, Mr Loder, a former rail manager, said: “South Western Railway has totally cut off Dorset, Somerset, most of Wiltshire, and Devon from its direct train services to London, as well as slashing our service in half, most of which is totally unnecessary. Will (the Prime Minister) support me and my neighbouring MPs in getting direct services back to West Dorset, and having a new timetable that is fit for our region?”

Mr Johnson said he expects the operator to restore direct services on February 19.

Mr Loder has already written to the Managing Director of SWR to demand that an early service, as well as direct services, are restored.

Mr Johnson said: "I want to thank my honourable friend very much for his question. He knows whereof he speaks. He is an expert in this subject and he has lobbied very effectively for his constituents and reflected their frustration. I'm told the timetable is expected to return to December 2021 levels from Saturday the 19th of February."

Following PMQs, a SWR spokesperson said: “We are developing plans to increase our service levels as customers and colleagues return to the railway, and will announce the details as soon as they are finalised.”