DORSET rail passengers are in for a boost as new services get the green light.

New South West Trains services are set to start later this year following approval from the rail regulator.

This includes 10 trains every week on the rarely used line connecting Yeovil Junction, on the London-Exeter line, with Yeovil Pen Mill, on the Weymouth to Bristol line.

It means passengers from Dorset intending to travel towards Exeter and beyond will have a smoother journey as they will no longer have to rely on bus or taxi services between the two Yeovil stations.

Yeovil Pen Mill will also have six direct trains from and two trains to London Waterloo each weekday.

There will also be half hourly trains from London Waterloo to Yeovil Junction stopping at stations including Sherborne and Gillingham.

Other services include two new daily direct services between Castle Cary and Frome, on the Weymouth to Bristol line, and Basingstoke, Woking and Clapham Junction.

South West Trains say the changes will improve connectivity and 'transform' rail services in the West of England as there will be many links to London for many communities.

Tim Shoveller, Managing Director of South West Trains, said: “We are delighted that these plans have been approved and we will now be able to press ahead with major improvements on the West of England line from December.

“Good transport links to cities such as Salisbury and of course, our capital city, play a crucial role in helping to keep the local economy growing, and we are certain that our customers will enjoy using these new services.

“We had some great feedback from local communities and we have taken these views on board and made changes where appropriate. We would like to thank the communities for their support and we look forwarding to launching the new services as part of the December timetable change.”

The new services will be available from Monday, December 14.

As well as the new and increased services, South West Trains has also introduced a rolling programme to refurbish all 30 of the class 159 trains on the West of England route. The diesel trains, which are the most reliable of their kind, will provide an improved quality of service and comfort for passengers in Devon, Dorset, Somerset and Wiltshire.