NETWORK Rail says it is ready to tackle winter conditions on the South Western Railway (SWR) route.

Last year, as Britain suffered in the grip of The Beast from the East, hundreds of passengers became trapped on trains overnight after icy conditions brought their journeys to a halt.

Network Rail confirmed that eight multi-purpose vehicles, based at Totton and Effingham Junction, Surrey, will travel 67,000 miles, the equivalent of more than two-and-a-half times around the world, de-icing the rails until the end of March.

David Dickson, chief operating officer for Network Rail’s Wessex route, said: “We have been working hard with SWR and other train operators to prepare for cold weather so we can keep our passengers moving when the temperature falls.

“Our fleet of multi-purpose vehicles will travel a huge distance to reduce the impact of the weather on train services from London Waterloo and down to the south coast.”