THERE were massive delays again on trains between Bournemouth and Weymouth yesterday.

Due to a Network Rail signalling problem between Bournemouth and Weymouth, fewer trains were able to run on all lines.

It meant only one train per hour could run between the two Dorset towns.

South Western Railway (SWR) announced the problem at 4am and initially said disruption was expected until 10am.

A number of trains were cancelled as a result, including early morning services from Weymouth to Southampton Central, Bournemouth to Weymouth, Brockenhurst to Weymouth, Weymouth to Southampton, and Weymouth to Brockenhurst.

However, all lines were only re-opened at around 1pm, and SWR warned train services might be cancelled, delayed by up to 20 minutes or revised.

Disruption then continued until 4pm.

The delays came after passengers were stuck at Bournemouth on Wednesday night due to a problem with the signalling system, causing all signals to fail between Poole and Wool.

Yesterday morning at Bournemouth station, dozens of rail staff were on hand to advise passengers.

Many services appeared to be running on time although some people said they were not taking any chances.

Margaret Parker from Ashley Cross in Poole said she was travelling to London and needed to be there for a meeting.

She said she got a taxi from home to Bournemouth to make sure she did not get caught up in the delays.

Many Brockenhurst College students faced delays of around 20 minutes.

And Stefan Woodley, 19, said: “I always leave really early because there are problems with the trains all the time - it’s ridiculous really.”

Student George Richards, 16, said his train to Poole from Bournemouth was 45 minutes late.

He told the Daily Echo: “It’s not even a shock anymore, SWR are absolutely diabolical.”

A spokesperson for South Western Railway said yesterday that until the fault was rectified by Network Rail, only one train per hour could be run between Bournemouth and Weymouth.

And even when the fault was identified, it required “a further four hours work for it to be rectified”, the spokesperson said.

Passengers were being advised to check their journey before they travelled.

The SWR spokesperson apologised for any delays caused to passengers’ journeys.

Last week, it was announced that some passengers could be hit with ticket price increases of more than £100 next year as average fares go up by 2.9 per cent on SWR.

The cost of many train operators’ rail season tickets will increase on January 2 – the largest rise since January 2013 according to the Office of Rail and Road data.

But passengers across the country said fares have become “ridiculous”, particularly after train punctuality slipped to a 12-year low in the summer.