Shortage of train crews leads to cancellations on SWR branch on first day after week-long closure

South Western Railway (SWR) had to cancel trains on the Lymington branch on the day it reopened to traffic.

Network Rail had been replacing nearly a mile of track between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier from Saturday October 26 to Sunday November 3.

Services initially resumed on Monday morning, but from midday onwards most were cancelled due to a lack of drivers.

A SWR spokesman said: “We are experiencing an unexpected shortage of drivers, meaning we have had to reduce the number of services between Brockenhurst and Lymington Pier.

“We are sorry for the disruption and are encouraging customers to check before travelling on this route by using a journey planner.”

The branch – which connects the main line at Brockenhurst with ferries to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight - is due to close again from December 21 until January 6 for improvements to the viaduct over Lymington River.