SWML/Lymington branch disruption/questions

[benm345]

Travelled from Southampton Central To Christchurch yesterday around 15:30ish.

Managed to cross paths with the NR class 153 Inspection train, 2x Class 66 with a deicing train AND a Class 67 running light from Swanage. Not bad for half an hour on the train

A couple of questions from the journey that I haven't been able to work out. The guard made an announcement that every THIRD train on the Lymington branch was cancelled yesterday due to track problems. I was struggling to come up with a logical reason what sort of problem could lead to every third service being cancelled, does anyone know?

The best I came up with was maybe the paths were required for the Deicing train I'd just spotted, or a different RHTT to run down the branch and back, but RTT doesn't back this up at all. So does anyone know what could have led to the need to cancel every third service, and not the whole service?

Service on the branch has actually been fully suspended for most of today, so I guess there actually was a track problem somewhere? Does anyone know more?

And as a follow up, while trying to find evidence of the RHTT visiting the branch yesterday and not seeing any, can anyone confirm if the Lymington branch does actually get regular RHTT or deicing trains? I can't see any regular paths on RTT for the last couple of days, but surely they must visit regularly? As a regular train user, I'd be nervous to use the branch late in Winter if it gets missed out, especially with the Salisbury incident still fresh in the mind.


Thanks in advance to anyone who provides answers or information.

 

[tumbledown]

National Rail Enquiries says that partial repairs have been made to the track, but a lower speed limit applies until further work has been done. That means that the train cannot make the round trip to the pier and back within the 30 minute interval (and it's a single track, so only one train can be on the branch at a time), so a 30 minute frequency isn't possible at the moment. Now showing an hourly service.

 

[fgwrich]

Network Rail Wessex did put out a tweet about it yesterday, though the photo didn’t give much away. Showing just the edge of some rather worn concrete sleepers and the ballast shoulder.

Buses will replace train services between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier tomorrow morning (31 December 2025) as engineers make urgent repairs to the track. Please plan ahead and check before you travel via southwesternrailway.com

https://x.com/networkrailwssx/status/2006105651253051665?s=46

 

[John Webb]

Network Rail Wessex did put out a tweet about it yesterday, though the photo didn’t give much away. Showing just the edge of some rather worn concrete sleepers and the ballast shoulder.

https://x.com/networkrailwssx/status/2006105651253051665?s=46

The left-hand sleeper in the photo you attached seems to have part of an 'insulator' holder left. This may have held a third-rail supporting insulator (or 'pot' as they are sometimes known as). I therefore suspect the 'pot' failed fairly explosively, as they can do, displacing the third rail and damaging the end of the sleeper. They would need to replace the insulator and restore the third rail to it's proper position and possibly also replace the sleeper. All of which takes time and would also lead to speed restrictions in the damaged area.