Rail strikes planned this week will not go ahead, as a mark of respect following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, but trains through Axminster continue to be affected by speed restrictions.

Trade unions involved in strikes planned for Thursday and Saturday this week have now suspended their plans.

At a time of national mourning, South Western Railway (SWR) says it is "united with the rest of the railway family in sending our condolences to His Majesty The King and the whole royal family".

SWR plans to reinstate a normal service for the days which would have been affected by the strikes. They are also working through what further changes might be required as part of preparations to help the nation commemorate the Queen.

They are not yet able to confirm the timetable for the day of the Queen's state funeral (September 19), therefore customers should check journey planners regularly for the latest information: https://www.southwesternrailway.com/plan-my-journey and should also be aware that services are expected to be extremely busy on that day.

Disruption on Axminster line

Meanwhile, trains on the Axminster to London Waterloo line continue to be affected by speed restrictions over defective track between Salisbury and Yeovil Junction.

This means that trains have to run at reduced speed in both directions through these stations and disruption is expected until the end of October 2022.

As a result of these restrictions, there is currently a revised timetable operating on the West of England line, with trains between Axminster and London Waterloo or Exeter generally running every two hours, rather than every hour.

The timetable is now available on journey planners and a PDF is available here. More information is available on a dedicated page relating to this disruption.

Customers are urged to check before they travel, as journey times will be extended and some services will not operate.