Extra buses and longer trains will operate to and from Weymouth during the Olympics from 27 July to 12 August.
South-West Trains to and from Southampton and London will run longer trains on many services.  First Great Western from Bath and Bristol will also operate longer trains.  It is also understood that some Arriva Cross-Country trains from the Midlands will be extended from Bournemouth to Weymouth.

Bus services will also be enhanced.  The X53 bus between Poole, Weymouth and Exeter will run hourly, instead of two-hourly.  The X43 will run two-hourly from Swanage and Wareham.  The route 1 between Weymouth and Portland will run every few minutes with double-deck buses in place of single-deckers.

If travelling by car is your only option you will need to book a space in one of the park and ride sites via the website:
http://www.firstgroupgamestravel.com/park-and-ride.
PLEASE NOTE: Private cars will be banned from Weymouth during the period of the Olympics unless the driver is in possession of a special pass.  Public transport is definitely the best option for visiting the town.

The bridge is due to be officially opened today by the Princess Royal. There are problems with the road surface, however, and although the Princess Royal will attend today, the £37m structure will not yet be open to traffic.
Several thousand people have already crossed the new bridge on foot.

When the bridge is open to road traffic it will provide a much needed second crossing of Poole Harbour.

There are plans to fill in the gaps between the rails along the quays.  Dorset County Council wants to make the road safer for cyclists by filling the gaps with a sand and tar mix that could be removed if the tracks were operational again in the future.  There have been several accidents caused by the tracks over the years, and cyclists and motor-cyclists are particularly vulnerable.

The Harbour Tramway, also known as the Quay Branch, was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1865. Passenger and freight trains used the branch to access the steamers from Weymouth to the Channel Islands and France.  Ferries docked alongside the harbour station. The trains travelled at walking pace preceeded by an official with a red flag.  Some of the locomotives were fitted with a bell.  GWR pannier tanks saw regular use.

Regular freight trains ceased in 1972 and passenger trains in 1987.  Several special railtours ran over the branch, the last-known being in May 1999.  There have been several proposals to run a tram or light train over the line, but nothing has materialized.  The tracks are owned by Network Rail.

August 31 to September 4 are the dates for this year's amazing show at Tarrant Hinton, near Blandford Forum.
It is now regarded as the leading show of its type in the world.  The showground covers 600 acres with over 200 working steam engines on display. Nearly a quarter of a million visitors are expected.  This year will be the show's 43rd. year.  Details

It's Carnival Week in Swanage next week, and trains will be running from Norden Park and Ride all day and all evening.  The last train back from Swanage will be 22.00 (10pm), except Saturdays 30 July and on Saturday 6 August, when the last train will be 23.35 (11.35pm) after the grand fireworks displays.
During the day trains will be steam-hauled, and there will be diesel trains in the evenings.
Avoid the parking congestion in Swanage and travel in style by train from Norden Park and Ride (Sat Nav postcode BH20 5DW, which gives an approximate destination, then follow the brown signs).  Parking is £2 plus train fares.

Between September 2011 and May 2012, major work will be carried out to improve traffic flows at this busy junction. The present roundabout will be replaced by a "doughnut" junction.  This means that the A31 will drive straight through the centre of the present roundabout on a dual carriageway, with all traffic being controlled by a total of 70 traffic lights.

When finished traffic should flow better along the A31, but there will be serious queues and diversions whilst the work is carried out over an 8-month period. This will inevitably delay all road users, including buses. DETAILS.

Bargain parking for a family. Parking in Weymouth town centre is very expensive, so save your cash and buy your ticket from the P&R machine and ride free. Buses run every 15 minutes until 6.15pm. The Park and Ride is conveniently sited just off the southern end of the new Weymouth Relief Road (A354). The more that use it the less congested Weymouth will be!

A steam train every 45 minutes will operate on the Swanage Railway from today for most of the school summer holiday.  There are also evening diesel services between Swanage and Corfe Castle. Park your car all day at Norden Park and Ride, and let the steam train take the strain into Corfe Castle and Swanage.  During the school holidays the X43 Damory/Wilts & Dorset bus also stops at Norden Park and Ride station on its journey between Weymouth and Swanage. Train timetable

Damory Coaches/Wilts and Dorset have announced a rival service to that already announced by First Bus. They will operate over the whole route between Weymouth and Swanage as last summer.  It will operate every day, unlike First's service, from 24 July to 3 September.  The First Bus service only operates between Weymouth, Lulworth and Monkey World, and does not operate on Saturdays or Sundays. Click for the Damory/W&D timetable. The Damory/W&D service is intended to connect with trains at Wareham Station (daily) and Wool Station on Sundays.
We have compiled a joint timetable showing buses of both companies. Click here.

Dorset's new Park and Ride site at Mount Pleasant, just off the southern end of the Weymouth Relief Road, opens on Saturday 23 July.  The new site for 1000 vehicles will offer buses to Weymouth and Dorchester. 
The parking charge for Weymouth will vary from £1.50 to £3.50 per car, according to season. The brand new buses will offer a free shuttle for up to 7 occupants of a vehicle.  These will operate every 15 minutes. The site will be open daily but closed on Sundays from October to March.

For Dorchester, there will be a new bus service X11 operating approximately every 20 minutes at a cost of £1.50 per car for up to 6 passengers. This service will operate from Monday to Friday only. Details