WEYMOUTH welcomed The Queen before she visited Dorchester – but not for long.

Her Majesty’s royal train ran past Dorchester South and went down to Weymouth before returning to Dorchester, where the royal party alighted on the main ‘up’ platform one.

As the royal train’s movements are kept under wraps, the Echo could not be given an explanation for the extra journey, and why the train wasn’t directed onto platform 1 at Dorchester on its way down from London, as has happened previously with regular passenger trains.

However it is understood that organisers may have been trying to avoid disruption to other Weymouth-Waterloo services.

British Transport Police and royal officials would not comment on the train’s route for ‘security reasons’.

The royal train can easily traverse the line as there are locomotives on each end, so a quick turnaround at Weymouth was possible.

One rail enthusiast observed the train at Upwey going to Weymouth on Thursday morning before it returned again shortly afterwards on the line towards Dorchester.

He said: “I presumed they had made a mistake and run the train into the down platform at Dorchester when the welcoming party was waiting on the other side on platform one.

"It was puzzling why they just didn’t run it into platform one at Dorchester when it arrived from London, rather than sending it down to Weymouth and back on a fifteen mile round-trip.”

It is understood the royal train later returned to Weymouth for a service before running up to Dorchester West on the Bristol line where the Queen got on later in the afternoon after the Poundbury visit.

Meanwhile, residents and visitors to Poundbury’s Bowes Lyon Court enjoyed some of the best views when the Queen came to visit.

With Her Majesty joined by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall for the visit to unveil the statue of the Queen Mother in the square named after her, excitement was high at the new assisted living development.

With the building’s outdoor terrace overlooking Queen Mother Square, crowds enjoyed great views from overhead for the historic occasion. The celebrations also saw the staff at Bowes Lyon Court put on a tea party with finger sandwiches and plenty of Union Jack bunting.

Kim Caldwell, sales and marketing director for the McCarthy and Stone development, said: “Everyone really enjoyed themselves at our special party for the Queen.

“It was a great way for homeowners to feel part of the celebrations going on outside in the square, and we were lucky enough to have some of the best views of the statue and of the royal car arriving.

“The noise from the square was incredible and at Bowes Lyon Court there was a real buzz about the place with everyone excited to catch a glimpse of Her Majesty.

“Many of our homeowners have apartments which look directly out onto the square and the statue so they really do have that regal feeling.

“It’s such a fitting tribute and a great centre piece addition to Queen Mother Square.”

Bowes Lyon Court offers one and two-bedroom assisted living apartments for the over 70s, with just over half the units at the new scheme still available.