A programme of rail improvement work will affect trains between Dorchester West, Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary on weekdays in February and March.

Network Rail is planning to carry out track upgrades and maintenance, and also plans to undertake station improvements at Maiden Newton.

No trains will be able to run between Yeovil Pen Mill and Dorchester West from Monday, February 27 to Friday, March 3, or from Monday, March 6 to Friday, March 10.

In addition, no train services will be able to operate between Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary on Monday, March 6 and Tuesday, March 7.

There will be no impact on South Western Railway (SWR) trains serving Weymouth, Upwey or Dorchester South stations.

• Trains between Weymouth and Bristol Temple Meads will start/terminate at Yeovil Pen Mill from Monday, February 27 to Friday, March 3
• These train services run as normal on the weekend of March 4 and 5
• Trains start/terminate at Castle Cary instead on Monday, March 6 and Tuesday, March 7
• Trains start/terminated at Yeovil Pen Mill from Wednesday, march 8 to Friday, March 10
• Buses replace trains between Weymouth and Yeovil Pen Mill on weekdays from Monday, February 27 to Friday, March 10
• Buses also replace trains between Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary on Monday, March 6 and Tuesday, March 7

SWR has agreed to accept Great Western Railway (GWR) tickets on trains between Weymouth and Southampton Central. Tickets for Dorchester West will also be valid for Dorchester South.

This means customers travelling between Weymouth and Bristol Temple Meads can change trains at Southampton Central to complete their journey with GWR.

For more information, visit GWR.com/Wessex

Ben Scott, GWR's station manager for Westbury, Wiltshire & Dorset, said: "These upgrades are part of an ongoing programme of work that will enable us to maintain services for customers travelling on the Heart of Wessex route.

"To help customers, we have ticket acceptance in place with SWR and Network Rail has agreed to reopen the line to enable our Weymouth trains to run at the weekend.

"We will also be providing alternative road transport, to ensure our customers can still complete their journeys during this period."

Mark Killick, Network Rail's Wessex route director, added: "I'm delighted to see that our work to improve the railway in the Heart of Wessex is continuing this February.

"Over the last few years we've made a major investment in this area to improve our infrastructure, renewing miles of track, refurbishing stations and replacing a bridge at Yetminster.

"This upcoming closure means we're another step closure to a safer, more reliable railway and I'd like to thank our passengers for their patience over the next few weeks."