THE level crossing in Poole High Street will be temporarily closed this Saturday and Sunday as part of £1million works to replace the tracks.

Network Rail/South West Trains Alliance are carrying out planned repairs for the second weekend in a row, which involves digging up the tracks and laying new ones through Poole station and the town centre.

Buses will also replace trains between Bournemouth and Wareham while the repairs are made and pedestrians will need to use the footbridge to access both halves of the high street. A diversion for people who cannot use steps will be made via the underpass under the railway to the Dolphin Centre.

John Halsall, the infrastructure director for Network Rail/South West Trains Alliance, said: “Renewing old track is one of the most important ways we can make our railway safer and more reliable.

“We are doing the work over the weekend because that is when the railway is at its quietest and trains will not be able to run while the track is replaced.”