SOUTH Western Railway's (SWR) December 2023 timetable will increase the number of direct, weekday services to and from London Waterloo on the West of England Line. 

Direct services on the line that connects London Waterloo with Salisbury, Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids were reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

However, following an increase in customer numbers, SWR is introducing a new timetable from Sunday 10 December that will see ten services on the West of England Line extended to and from London Waterloo on weekdays. 

Customers travelling from Crewkerne, Yeovil Junction and Templecombe will benefit from two restored, direct services to London Waterloo on weekday mornings. 

The 0620 from Honiton and 0641 from Exeter St Davids will call at all stations to Basingstoke, then additionally at Woking and Clapham Junction, arriving at London Waterloo at 0918 and 1020 respectively. 

Customers travelling from the capital to Yeovil will also see an uplift in direct services. SWR is the only operator to provide direct services between London and the Somerset town, and customers will soon have three extended, direct services to Yeovil Junction, and two to Yeovil Pen Mill, per weekday: 

• The 0950 London Waterloo to Yeovil Junction via Westbury, calling at all stations from Basingstoke to Salisbury and additionally at Clapham Junction and Woking 
• The 1550 London Waterloo to Yeovil Junction via Gillingham, calling at all stations from Basingstoke to Salisbury and additionally at Clapham Junction and Woking 
• The 1851 London Waterloo to Yeovil Pen Mill 

All extended services will start on Monday 11 December, the first weekday of SWR's new timetable. 

Steve Tyler, Planning and Performance Director for South Western Railway, said:   "We're delighted to increase the number of through services between London Waterloo and stations in Somerset on weekdays, which were reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"By enhancing our services between London Waterloo and destinations further west, such as Crewkerne, Yeovil and Templecombe, we're providing greater choice for our customers."