Rail chaos wrecks plans for thousands of New Year commuters

Sign as much as Simon Calder’s free journey electronic mail for skilled recommendation and money-saving reductions

Get Simon Calder’s Travel electronic mail

After a month of near-continuous disruption for rail passengers, 2024 has begun with additional chaos. Severe climate and monitor issues are inflicting a whole lot of prepare cancellations on the primary working day of the yr.

The remaining month of 2023 introduced strikes, timetable cuts, continual cancellations on account of workers scarcity and a flood on the UK’s solely high-speed railway – which led to greater than 30,000 Eurostar passengers being stranded on 30 December.

Just as the standard Christmas and New Year engineering work had ended, heavy rain is jeopardising the return to work.

The foremost Great Western line from London Paddington to South Wales has been closed between Swindon and Bristol Parkway since Sunday night.

Trains are being cancelled or diverted, with delays of as much as an hour.

GWR stated: “Flooding between Swindon and Bristol Parkway means that all lines are currently closed. Trains running between these stations may be cancelled.”

Further west, flooding on the road between Exeter and Plymouth is inflicting delays and cancellations on trains between Cornwall, Bristol and London.

“Trains which do run through the flooded area will be delayed by 20-30 minutes,” GWR warned.

The line between Derby and Nottingham within the East Midlands can be blocked by flooding.

In West Yorkshire, heavy rain in Leeds means dozens of trains linking town with Harrogate, Shipley and Ilkley are more likely to be cancelled for a lot of the day.

Northern Trains stated: “Services will run between Shipley and Bradford Forster Square only, due to flooding of the line in the Kirkstall area following heavy rain overnight.”

The South Western Railway foremost line between Bournemouth and Southampton Central is closed as a result of of “urgent repairs to the track”.

Commuters are warned: “Substantial rail damage has been identified on the line between Bournemouth and Southampton and trains are unable to use this portion of track in either direction.

“Specialist teams are on site and working hard to have this fixed as soon as possible.

“Disruption is expected until the end of the day.”

On the primary cross-Channel hyperlink from Dover to Calais, DFDS Ferries is cancelling some departures “due to adverse weather”. The firm stated: “Apologies for the inconvenience caused. Customers will be transferred to the first available departure.”