SOUTH Western Railway has revealed a new timetable which will increase the number of direct, weekday services to and from London Waterloo on the West of England Line. 

It comes after direct services on the line that connects London Waterloo with Salisbury, Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids were reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Those reductions almost halved the number of direct, off-peak services between London Waterloo, Andover and Salisbury, while customers travelling off-peak from London Waterloo to Overton, Whitchurch and Grateley must currently change at Basingstoke and wait up to 30 minutes for an onward connection. 

Now, due to an increase in customer numbers, SWR is introducing a new timetable from Sunday, December 10.

The new timetable will see 10 services on the West of England Line extended to and from London Waterloo on weekdays. 

There will be more services to Basingstoke while Salisbury and Andover will once again see two trains per hour to and from London Waterloo, with off-peak direct services restored to Overton, Whitchurch and Grateley. 

Two services will be extended to London Waterloo from East Devon, providing customers between Honiton and Basingstoke with two, and customers between Exeter and Honiton with one, additional direct service to the capital. 

Customers travelling to Yeovil will also see an uplift in direct services. SWR is the only operator to provide direct services between London and the Somerset town, and customers will soon have three extended, direct services to Yeovil Junction, and two to Yeovil Pen Mill, per weekday. 

Timetable changes for services to London Waterloo from: 

  • Honiton at 6.20am, calling at all stations to Basingstoke and additionally at Woking, arriving at London Waterloo at 9.18am
  • Exeter St Davids at 6.41am, calling at all stations to Basingstoke and additionally at Woking and Clapham Junction, arriving at London Waterloo at 10.20am 
  • Gillingham (Dorset) at 9.18am and 4.18pm, calling at all stations to Basingstoke and additionally at Woking 
  • Salisbury at 10.47am, 11.47am, 12.47am, 13.47am, 17.47am and 8.52pm*, calling at all stations to Basingstoke and additionally at Woking 

Timetable changes for services from London Waterloo to: 

  • Yeovil Junction at 9.50am (via Westbury) and 3.50pm, calling at all stations from Basingstoke to Salisbury and additionally at Clapham Junction and Woking 
  • Salisbury at 10.50am, 11.50am, 12.50am, 2.50pm and 10.50pm, calling at all stations from Basingstoke to Salisbury and additionally at Clapham Junction and Woking 
  • The 2.38pm Basingstoke to Gillingham will start at London Waterloo at 1.50pm and terminate at Salisbury at 3.20pm, calling additionally at Clapham Junction and Woking 
  • Yeovil Pen Mill at 6.51pm 
  • Salisbury at 7.50pm, calling at all stations from Basingstoke to Salisbury and additionally at Clapham Junction 

Steve Tyler, planning and performance director for South Western Railway, said: “We’re delighted to increase the number of through services between London Waterloo and stations west of Basingstoke on weekdays, which were reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

“This service uplift means that customers travelling between Overton, Andover, Whitchurch, Grateley, Salisbury and London Waterloo will benefit from additional direct services, while reducing waiting times and offering additional journey options for customers at Basingstoke. 

“We’re also pleased to be able to enhance the service between London Waterloo and destinations further west, such as Gillingham, Honiton, Yeovil and Exeter, allowing greater choice for our customers.”  

Simon Jupp, Member of Parliament for East Devon and Parliamentary Private Secretary at the Department for Transport said: "This very welcome improvement in South Western Railway services towards London is fantastic news, particularly for residents of the South West who will have faster and more convenient journeys during the week. 

“The frequency of services is something I’ve raised with South Western Railway and I’ve no doubt these improvements will encourage more people to travel by train."