TRAIN services through Axminster will return to a normal timetable from Monday, February 21 having been cut during the rise in Omicron infections. 

The move comes as improving staff availability means that South Western Railway (SWR) can increase the number of trains it runs without compromising reliability for customers.

The uplift is timely as more people return to the railway following the government's work from home instruction being lifted. 

The timetable will be almost identical to the one that served customers in December 2021, meaning that a whole host of services – including through trains to and from Exeter St Davids and Weymouth and a more frequent service on the Shepperton line – will be reinstated.  

In January, SWR was forced to introduce a temporary timetable in response to staff absences caused by the spread of Omicron. The train operator said this timetable "ensured reliability for customers during a challenging period, with SWR adding additional services as staff availability improved".  

Commenting, SWR managing director Claire Mann said: "It has been a difficult period for our railway and the customers it serves, with significant staff shortages giving us no choice but to temporarily reduce our timetable last month.  

"With staff availability now consistently improving, we are pleased to be able to announce this uplift, which will essentially see service levels return to where they were prior to the spread of Omicron.  

"More and more people are returning to our railway, and this timetable will ensure that we match capacity and demand while delivering reliability for customers". 

Details of service levels up until the new train timetable is introduced on February 21 can be found here.