Isle of Wight Island Line reopens for summer after pier work

Island Line trains have not been able to serve Ryde Pier Head since the end of October

Trains are running again on a Victorian-era pier after stopping for nearly nine months.

The Isle of Wight's Island Line was closed between Ryde Esplanade and Ryde Pier Head while the 143-year-old pier it runs along was repaired.

It had been expected to reopen in June but was delayed after storms damaged scaffolding.

South Western Railway said the section will close again towards the end of the year to fully complete the work.

The train firm said fuller details of the closure after the summer "will be confirmed at a later date" - it said it hoped the work will give the pier a further 60 years of life.

A minibus service runs between Ryde Pier Head and Ryde Esplanade when the trains are not running to allow passengers to connect with ferries.

The pier closure followed a £26m upgrade which saw Island Line's old 1938 tube trains replaced by refurbished London Underground District Line trains, and its tracks and platforms upgraded.