Railways: Weather
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of soil moisture deficit on railway services in West Dorset.
Answered by Department for Transport
We recognise the significant impact that soil moisture deficit can have on the West of England Line. The route was constructed in the mid-19th century, and many of its embankments were built using excavated material from nearby cuttings. Modern understanding of geotechnical engineering has highlighted the susceptibility of some of these clay embankments to ground movement during prolonged periods of hot and dry weather. Long sections of this line are also single track, creating operational constraints which are then exacerbated when speed restrictions have to be introduced.
South Western Railway (SWR) and Network Rail Wessex continue to monitor and assess the effects of soil moisture deficit on the route and have undertaken extensive mitigation work since 2025. These measures have enabled journey times in the amended timetable to be reduced by around 30 minutes compared with the previous year.
SWR and Network Rail Wessex are also working with the University of Southampton to improve understanding of the phenomenon and identify longer-term engineering solutions that will enhance the resilience of the route to climate change and extreme weather.
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