Staycationers face summer getaway chaos after bosses closed a station on Britain’s main holiday rail route – because of hot weather.
They said tracks in the south have been affected by dryness.
It has led to a condition called Soil Moisture Deficit.
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It means there are station closures and timetable disruptions on rail lines that carry passengers to and from holiday hotspots in the South West.
Authorities have closed Crewkerne Station, Somerset, after low soil moisture changed the levels of the tracks.
A speed restriction had previously been introduced for trains using a four-mile stretch of the railway line there after clay embankments dried out and disturbed the tracks.
Rail replacement buses will now take people to connecting trains at Yeovil Junction and Axminster, Devon, until further notice, as reported by Need To Know.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “The hot, dry weather creates challenges for our railway.
“After the UK’s driest spring since 1836 and weeks of dry weather this summer, parts of the Southern Region are being affected by a problem called Soil Moisture Deficit, SMD.
“SMD happens when clay embankments dry out and shrink, which can shift the tracks above and make it unsafe for trains to run at normal speeds.
“Many of our tracks were built over Victorian clay embankments, and the worst affected area right now is a four-mile stretch between Yeovil Junction and Axminster on the West of England line.”
South Western Railway and Network Rail warned that additional restrictions and timetable changes are likely to be necessary on the line between Salisbury in Wiltshire and Axminster, Devon, over the summer as dry weather continues.
Tom McNamee from Network Rail said repeated delays in the Crewkerne area could lead to widespread cancellations and gaps in services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids.
“We have carefully studied the impact, and unfortunately, it will not be possible to operate a safe and reliable timetable while calling at Crewkerne,” he added.
“We will continue to carefully monitor [soil moisture levels] and give customers as much notice as possible,” Mr McNamee said.
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