Somerset floods: Trains cancelled for days due to landslip

The line will remain closed until Monday 11 December due to the landslip at Crewkerne. Credit: Network Rail Wessex

A landslip on the Exeter to London Waterloo line has seen trains cancelled until at least Monday 11 December.

It comes following flash flooding which affected the tracks and caused the earth to move above the Crewkerne Tunnel in Somerset.

It means there will be no South Western Railway trains between Exeter and Yeovil for the next few days while repair work takes place.

Network Rail’s team of engineers will excavate around 100 tonnes of clay, soil and vegetation from around the tunnel entrance to help stabilise the area.

Work is ongoing to remove prevent debris from reaching the track. Credit: Network Rail Wessex

Passengers who had already started their journey on Monday, December 4 and sourced their own taxis can claim them back through the customer services team.

Customer services will require:

  • Your full contact details

  • The time and date of your journey

  • The stations you travelled to and from

  • A detailed description of the series of events that took place

  • Copies of your train ticket/s and taxi receipt

Instead, passengers are advised to use Great Western Railway services to travel between Exeter and London.

Matt Pocock, Network Rail Wessex route director, said: “I would like to say how sorry we are for the disruption passengers are experiencing following a landslip at Crewkerne tunnel.

“We’ve experienced over 90mm of sustained heavy rain over the past 48 hours and this has resulted in movement in the earth on the cutting above the tunnel entrance which, if action isn’t taken, could spill over onto the tracks and risk the safety of passenger services.”

People have had to be rescued from their homes due to flooding that's hit the region.

Meanwhile, a major Somerset road that was closed has been cleared of water and has now reopened to motorists.

National Highways set up a road closure on the A303 between the A3088 (Cartgate) and A359 (Sparkford).

Pictures show the scale of the flooding which left the road impassable.

The road has now been cleared of water. Credit: National Highways

Crews from Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service joined highways officers at the scene to pump the water away.

Both the Eastbound and Westbound lanes reopened on the morning of Wednesday 6 December.

National Highways South West said: "Flooding was caused by water running off an adjacent field which brought with it debris.

"We have cleared the drains and will increase the frequency in which we check them during forecast severe weather.

"The field is privately owned so any long term solutions will take some time."

There is more heavy rain forecast on Thursday 7 December, leading to a weather warning covering most of Somerset.