Storm Eunice train travel: Rail services between London and Bristol suspended over passenger safety

The main train line between London and Bristol is closed, Network Rail has said this lunchtime (February 18), because of safety concerns.

Train travel was already disrupted ahead of the arrival of Storm Eunice this morning, with the line west of Bristol toward Swansea closed as well as the service to Devon and Cornwall.

Other services not operating include GWR services between Weston-super-Mare and Bristol, and between Severn Beach and Bristol.

Then, this morning, the service between Bristol and Salisbury was stopped due to a fallen tree across tracks in Bradford-on-Avon.

Now, Mike Gallop, western route director for Network Rail, has told Sky News this lunchtime that the service on the main line between London and Bristol is suspended.

He said: “Frankly, the number of incidents that we’ve now had means that we need to close for safety reasons, both for safety of passengers but also our staff of course who have been working all night in absolutely appalling weather conditions, keeping the railway safe and keeping the railway open.

“But we’ve now reached a place where it is no longer safe to operate the railway and we’re going to close the western route in a controlled and safe manner, and we’re going to suspend services until its safe to resume them.”

It comes an hour after Network Rail posted a picture on Twitter with a tree across the line at Bradford-on-Avon.

Before this morning, GWR had warned of a reduced service due to today’s weather.

It announced the closure of the main line in south Wales, and said services from the east would be terminating at Bristol Parkway.

It also warned that where bus replacement services were able to operate, they too would be affected by very poor road conditions, possible road closures, and were likely to be very busy.

Managing director Mark Hopwood urged people to check online train timetables before leaving to get to a station.

He said: “Speed restrictions will be put in place on our network, but the extent of those restrictions can only be determined by conditions on the ground and are likely to change throughout the day.”