PICTURES show work progressing on a rail route which has been closed all this week for a major maintenance project.

Engineers have been replacing just under a mile’s worth of track, which is over 50 years old, north of Thornford on the Weymouth to Bristol line.

There’s also been improvement works to the junctions either side of Maiden Newton station, where the two tracks merge into one.

Around 120 people have been working on site over the course of the closure and have faced a mixed bag of weather this week including some torrential downpours.

Network Rail says the work is on schedule and the line will be open again on Monday morning. Up until the end of Sunday, buses continue to replace trains between Weymouth, Dorchester West, Yeovil Pen Mill and Castle Cary.

Mark Goodall, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said: “The track we are replacing is over fifty years old and worn out, making it more prone to defects and faults.

"This essential engineering work will improve the railway between Weymouth and Castle Cary, allowing passengers to enjoy smoother and more reliable journeys.

“Longer single closures such as this one allows us to best manage our resources and complete a greater amount of work compared to working over multiple weekends, which is also more disruptive to passengers.

“We’re sorry to any passengers whose journeys are disrupted and thank them for their patience and understanding during this time.”