SOUTH Western Railway (SWR) and Swanage Railway are providing services to Corfe Castle again this summer, after the huge success of last year’s trial where more than 4,000 tickets were snapped up.

The first summer service will run on Saturday, May 25, from London Waterloo to Corfe Castle via Salisbury, Yeovil and Weymouth.

This special summer service opens up the iconic Corfe Castle and beach at Swanage so that they are accessible by train from London and across the region.

SWR will be operating direct train services every Saturday during the summer from Salisbury, Tisbury, Gillingham, Templecombe, Sherborne, Yeovil, Maiden Newton, Weymouth, Dorchester, Moreton and Wool and Wareham to Corfe Castle.

Meanwhile, passengers will be able to extend their journey's on Swanage Railway heritage line from Corfe into Swanage.

SWR head of new trains Chris Loder said: “We’re delighted to be running the direct summer service again to Corfe Castle. We hope this will encourage visitors from across the UK to visit beautiful Corfe Castle and Swanage.”

And Swanage Railway head of sales David Rawsthorn added: "We are delighted that the ongoing partnership with South Western Railway will enable a regular train service to run again on summer Saturdays to Corfe Castle.

"This will give everyone the opportunity of visiting the historic Corfe Castle and join us on board our iconic steam trains to the Victorian seaside town of Swanage.”

Trains will depart Wareham at 11.17am, 1.12pm and 3.12pm, returning from Corfe Castle at 12.10pm, 2.45pm and 3.45pm.

Dorset Council member Cllr Bill Trite, who is also chairman of the Purbeck Community Rail Partnership, said: “We look forward to the start of this service, which proved so popular last year.

"The trains brought much additional trade to the Swanage Railway, Corfe Castle and to Swanage itself.

"Many passengers also bought the add-on 'Swanage by steam' fares between Corfe Castle and Swanage and their feedback was very favourable.”