GWR
advised
passengers
not
to
try
to
travel
between
London
Paddington
and
Reading
until
midday
at
least,
because
overhead
lines
were
damaged
outside
Paddington
at
about
18.30
last
night,
stranding
about
900
passengers
on
one
intercity
train
after
the
overhead
had
become
wrapped
around
it.

A
fleet
of
hundreds
of
taxis
was
used
to
rescue
them
during
the
evening,
but
there
were
further
problems
because
passengers
on
some
trains
had
jumped
down
on
to
the
track,
effectively
blocking
the
lines
until
they
could
be
removed
by
British
Transport
Police.

National
Rail
said
a
train
had
collided
with
an
‘obstruction’
between
London
Paddington
and
Acton
Main
Line,
damaging
the
overhead.

There
is
also
more
disruption
further
west,
because
floods
have
blocked
the
main
line
between
Plymouth
and
Totnes.

Network
Rail
engineers
have
been
working
to
repair
the
damaged
overhead
at
Paddington,
and
National
Rail
reports
that
the
Paddington
lines
have
now
been
reopened
to
traffic,
but
services
will
continue
to
be
delayed
and
in
some
cases
cancelled
until
later
today.
Passengers
travelling
to
Paddington
may
have
to
change
trains
at
Reading.

The
line
will
probably
not
be
reopened
between
Totnes
and
Plymouth
until
the
end
of
the
day.
Trains
are
continuing
to
run
on
Cornish
lines
as
far
as
Plymouth,
and
between
Exeter
and
London
Paddington,
while
a
limited
service
is
being
provided
between
Exeter
St
Davids
and
Totnes.

GWR
customer
service
and
operations
director
Richard
Rowland
said:
‘We’re
really
sorry
for
customers
whose
journeys
have
been
disrupted
following
damage
to
overhead
wires
just
outside
London
Paddington
last
night. 

‘For
the
safety
of
passengers
all
trains
were
stopped
following
the
incident.
Unfortunately,
this
disruption
continues
this
morning.’