Isle of Wight: Island Line train timetable halved for maintenance works

The Island Line runs between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin

The number of services running on a pan-island train line has been halved.

A train now runs every hour on the Island Line between Ryde Pier Head and Shanklin on the Isle of Wight.

The previous timetable of two trains per hour will continue during holiday seasons, including over Easter and summer.

The changes are being made so the five Class 484 trains used on the line can undergo additional maintenance.

The BBC understands the problem relates to excessive wear to the wheels, though South Western Railway, which runs the service, would only confirm more maintenance than expected is needed.

Island Line bought the two-vehicle trains in 2021 from Vivarail, which has since gone into liquidation and no longer exists.

Two of them are currently out of action indefinitely due to flood damage last year, which the train company describes as "long-term maintenance". It is understood they are not in working condition.

SWR hopes reducing the timetable will enable more trains to be available for the busier times of year.

Mark Dunn, SWR's Island Line general manager, said: "To ensure that we are able to run a full service of two trains per hour at the busiest times of the year, we have made the difficult decision to move to an hourly timetable.

"We understand just how important the Easter, May bank holiday and summer holidays are to the island, and the link with ferries to the mainland, so we want to do all we can to ensure a full service can run at those busier times."

A five-day closure for essential maintenance and improvements on the line is also set to take place between Friday 8 and Tuesday 12 March.

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