DORSET rail passengers are being warned to plan ahead as major improvement works are carried out at a London terminus.

An £800 million upgrade at Waterloo station will see nine of the platforms closed for most of August next year.

As a result there will be 'significant changes' to train services across the South West Trains network including the Weymouth-Waterloo line.

Certain stations will have to close in the London area while fewer trains will call at certain stations, again in the London area but also at Winchester.

Stations between Weymouth and Southampton are listed as 'stations with impacted services'. It is warned that trains, particularly at peak times are likely to be busier than usual and journeys may take longer.

A timetable and more detailed travel advice will be published in the new year.

Network Rail and South West Trains have launched a campaign asking passengers to plan ahead.

The works between August 5-28 represent the biggest investment in the London station for 80 years.

It aims to create a "spacious, modern and accessible station concourse" by rebuilding the former Waterloo International Terminal.

Passenger journeys on the lines into Waterloo have more than doubled from 108 million in 1996 to 234 million today.

The Waterloo & South West Upgrade will provide more seats, longer trains and a bigger, better Waterloo by:

  • Bringing the five platforms of the former international terminal back into use
  • Extending platforms 1-4 to accommodate 10-car trains
  • Introducing 10-car trains between Waterloo and Reading

The work to extend platforms 1-4 will require platforms 1-9 to be closed between August 5-28.

Stuart Kistruck, route managing director at Network Rail said, “Work to deliver our Railway Upgrade Plan at Waterloo is progressing at a fantastic rate and this will continue behind the scenes, but from August 5 – 28 next year we will temporarily shift all of our services along the station so that we can lengthen platforms 1-4.

“During this period we will be closing platforms 1-9, so services will use the other existing platforms as well as platforms 20-24, which will re-open during August’s changes.

"As there will be major impacts on services, we want everyone to have plenty of time to plan ahead while we invest for better journeys down the line.”

Christian Roth, Managing Director at South West Trains, added: “The Waterloo and South West Upgrade is the biggest investment in this railway for decades and will provide more trains, more seats and more space for tens of thousands of passengers every day.

“We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on passengers while the work is carried out but there will be some changes to services next summer, particularly between 5 and 28 August 2017. We are urging passengers, businesses and communities to start planning ahead now while we carry out this work.”

Network Rail and South West Trains are handing out information leaflets and travel card holders to passengers with details of the changes, so that they can plan ahead for the changes.