SOUTH Western Railway has issued a warning to rail passengers using its services this weekend.

The rail operator said there may be gaps on rail replacement bus services due to a national shortage of bus drivers.

People travelling along the south coast will be affected. 

Posting on Twitter at 9am this morning, South Western Railway said: “Due to the national shortage of bus drivers, there may be gaps in rail replacement bus services for routes with planned engineering works on the south coast this weekend.

 

“We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

“Please check your journey before you travel.”

It comes ahead of the next round of rail strikes next week.

South Western Railway will run a "severely reduced service" for Thursday, March 16 and Saturday, March 18, as members of the RMT union carry out industrial action.

There will be no services running in Dorset.

For Dorset residents who wish to travel to London on Thursday, March 16, they will need to catch a train from Southampton Central to London Waterloo, with two trains running per hour in each direction.

These services will run between 7am and 6.30pm.

Services will then start later on Friday, March 17, with first trains starting at around 7am.

Further disruption will be caused by planned engineering works that will take place on Saturday, March 18, with no services running between Woking and Basingstoke, and no rail replacements bus services running either.

A normal Sunday timetable will run on March 19.