The railway line between Axminster and Yeovil Junction will be closed for five days next month.
From Monday, November 6 until Friday 10, rail replacement bus services will operate between Yeovil Junction and Axminster, with a revised train service from Axminster to Exeter St Davids.
A second 16-day closure between Salisbury and Yeovil Junction will take place from Saturday, November 26 November until Sunday, December 10.
The closures are needed for vital engineering work.
Mark Killick, Network Rail’s Wessex route director, said: “Over the past three years, we’ve worked really hard to improve the reliability and resilience of the West of England line by strengthening the cuttings and renewing old worn-out sections of track.
“Next month, this two-part closure will enable our engineers to continue these important upgrades as part of our continued programme of investment on this line. I fully recognise that every time we close the railway it is disruptive for our customers, and we always work hard to find the time when it inconveniences the least number of people.
"These upgrades are crucial for the safe and reliable running of services on the West of England line in the future and I’m grateful to customers for their patience and understanding during this time.”
While the line between Salisbury and Yeovil Junction will be closed between Saturday 25 November and Sunday 10 December, customers will still be able to travel on SWR services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids, as services will be diverted via Westbury.
Rail replacement bus services will be in place for customers travelling to Tisbury, Gillingham, Sherborne and Templecombe. Services between London Waterloo and Salisbury, Basingstoke and Salisbury, Yeovil Junction and Exeter St Davids, and Reading and Salisbury, will all be altered over those 16 days.
Buses will replace trains on the following dates:
Sunday 29 October: Gillingham to Andover until mid-morning
Sunday 12 November: Andover to Woking
Saturday 18 November: Yeovil Junction to Salisbury
Passengers can find further details of how the closures will affect their journeys on the South Western Railway website.
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