Landslip closes rail line through Somerset

A landslip near Crewkerne has halted rail services through Yeovil Junction, effectively severing the link through to Devon and Cornwall. Network Rail says the route from Bridgwater is blocked by the flooded River Parrett, while the main line from Castle Cary is blocked by flooding at Athelney.

It is likely that the slip at Crewkerne will be closed for a least a week, but it is too early to say when the line through Bridgwater will reopen. The floods are currently being blown into waves by the high winds in the area, which are washing away the stones the track rests on.

The landslip and other weather-related problems are affecting services as far away as Bristol Parkway, where bus services have been laid on between there and Exeter St Davids.