Heavy rain blocks railways as floods spread

Train services have been badly disrupted in the south of England after heavy rain caused floods in several areas. Great Western Railway services from London Paddington were the worst affected, partly because floodwater had blocked the Berks & Hants line near Newbury, but also because police closed all four running lines on the main route to Bristol last night after someone had been killed by a train at Pangbourne. Thameslink trains are affected by a landslip at Arlesey on the East Coast Main Line, a flood between Gloucester and Lydney obstructed CrossCountry and Transport for Wales trains, while the Looe branch in Cornwall was blocked by floodwater near Sandplace. South Western Railway also warned that its services would be disrupted because of the weather.