Trains are running again in the Feltham area of south west London this morning, after a partial bridge collapse closed the lines from Hounslow and Whitton at the end of last week. One arch of the bridge, crossing the River Crane, began to disintegrate after heavy rain had swollen the flow of water.

Network Rail engineers have spent the weekend installing a section of emergency track. This is a loop which takes trains across some land which was once occupied by Feltham marshalling yard, avoiding the damaged section of the bridge.

A detailed survey of the bridge, which is one hundred years old, has also now begun. Engineers will be seeking to find out if there were any other faults in the structure.

Meanwhile, disruption continues further north. Buses are still replacing trains between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog, because of flood damage at North Llanrwst, and in the Scottish central belt a landslip has interrupted train services between Livingston South and Shotts. Again, replacement buses are running.

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