RAIL passengers are reminded a temporary timetable comes into force today on the Weymouth-Waterloo line.

It means that there will no longer be direct trains from Weymouth to London and vice versa as hourly services will terminate at Bournemouth. Passengers travelling towards Southampton and London must change trains at Bournemouth for connecting services.

South Western Railway (SWR) has implemented the changes so services will be more reliable amid staff shortages.

These temporary timetable changes will remain under review, the company said.

SWR’s Managing Director Claire Mann said: “The spread of the Omicron variant has had a significant impact on our railway, with fewer people using the train and staff shortages impacting on our ability to consistently deliver the current timetable.

“Having assessed demand and spoken to our industry colleagues, we believe this new timetable is the most effective means of ensuring our customers receive a reliable service, with short-notice cancellations minimised."

Timetables are available at www.southwesternrailway.com with journey planners set to be updated on a week-by-week basis. Updates will take place towards the end of each week, so customers are advised to check before they travel.