Trains


are
still
being
delayed
or
cancelled
in
several
areas
this
morning,
after
Storm
Bert
caused
flooding
and
wind
damage
over
the
weekend.

The
Northampton
loop
on
the
West
Coast
Main
Line
is
not
expected
to
reopen
before
tomorrow
at
the
earliest,
because
signalling
and
telecomms
equipment
were
damaged
when
the
tracks
at
Northampton
station
disappeared
under
water
from
the
nearby
River
Nene,
which
had
burst
its
banks.

Network
Rail
said
the
waterlogged
equipment
‘needs
to
be
assessed,
repaired
and
thoroughly
tested’
before
trains
can
return.
Long
Buckby
station
will
also
remain
closed
today,
and
replacement
buses
are
running
from
Northampton
to
Rugby
and
Milton
Keynes
Central.

West
Coast
South
route
director
Gary
Walsh
said:
‘We’re
working
as
quickly
as
we
can
to
clean
up
and
repair
damaged
rail
equipment.’

Flooding
in
South
Wales
has
also
disrupted
services.
Trains
running
between
Radyr
and
Treherbert,
Aberdare
and
Merthyr
Tydfil
are
not
likely
to
restart
before
midday,
while
trains
are
not
expected
to
return
to
the
section
between
Llanhilleth
and
Ebbw
Vale
Town
before
the
end
of
today.

The
Great
Western
Main
Line
was
also
blocked
between
Swindon
and
Bristol
Parkway
by
flooding
at
Chipping
Sodbury,
and
debris
is
being
removed
from
the
tracks,
with
trains
unlikely
to
return
today.
Through
trains
are
running
again
between
London
Paddington
and
Cardiff
Central
but
they
are
being
diverted,
adding
40
minutes
to
journeys.

In
Berkshire,
two
of
the
three
platforms
at
Newbury
are
still
closed
and
fast
trains
from
Newbury
to
London
have
been
cancelled,
although
local
stopping
services
and
intercity
services
will
still
be
calling
at
the
one
platform
which
is
available.

Further
west,
disruption
is
continuing
in
Devon
on
the
Barnstaple
and
Okehampton
branches,
and
buses
are
replacing
trains
from
Exeter
again
today.