Road collapse as storms lead to travel disruption and flooding of properties
Recovery and repair work is still under way after landslides caused by flash floods flooded six properties and brought chaos to the region.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called out to various incidents in Knighton, Presteigne, Llandrindod Wells and Rhayader after the weather turned sour.
A hand pump was also used to remove water from nearby businesses while a Dyfed Powys Police van wheel got stuck in a sink hole on a Radnorshire road
The van’s wheel sank into the hole, where a culvert collapsed, washing the road surface away, on the B4355 at Lloyney, near Knighton, at about 1.30am on Thursday.
A spokesman said: “The vehicle became trapped and was recovered shortly after 4am with only minor damage. The van was not on its way to an incident at the time, so no response times were affected.”
The road was closed and Powys County Council’s Highways Department said the closure would remain in place until September 1.
The storms also caused extensive damage to the Heart of Wales railway line. Passengers are encouraged to check before they travel while Network Rail engineers carry out repairs.
Replacement bus services remain in place between Shrewsbury and Llandrindod Wells.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service was called out to various incidents in Knighton, Presteigne, Llandrindod Wells and Rhayader last Wednesday.
Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s Head of Operational Response for Powys, Craig Thomas said it was a busy night for firefighters, particularly in the Knighton and Rhayader areas.
He said: “We were called to a number of incidents throughout the evening and were quite busy in Rhayader and Knighton.
“There was a landslide caused by flash floods which led to six properties being flooded in Knighton, so we were on hand to pump water away and give assistance to business and home owners affected.
“There were also a number of incidents in Llandrindod Wells so it was a busy night.”
Meanwhile, passengers using the Heart of Wales line are encouraged to check before they travel as the railway between Shrewsbury and Llandrindod Wells has been closed owing to extensive damage caused by extreme rainfall in mid-Wales on August 12 and 13.
Near Knighton, the railway has been damaged at various sites including across a 350m stretch where ballast has been washed away and significant debris has been washed onto the track meaning it is completely buried in some areas.
Network Rail engineers are working around the clock to inspect and repair the damage and will confirm how long the closure will last as soon as possible.
The closure means buses will replace trains between Shrewsbury and Llandrindod Wells with passengers advised to check before they travel at National Rail Enquiries or with Transport for Wales.
Bill Kelly, Network Rail’s Wales route director, said: “We are sorry for the disruption this has caused to passengers who use the Heart of Wales line.
“We saw extreme rainfall for a prolonged period on Thursday which has caused significant damage to sections of the railway and left debris across hundreds of metres of track.
“We are already working around the clock to repair the damage as quickly as possible and we will keep everyone updated with our progress.”
James Price, Transport for Wales CEO said: “We would like to apologise to our customers for any disruption that has been caused, we’ll be working with our partners in Network Rail to resume services as quickly as possible.
“There will be rail replacement buses available and please could all our customers check online before they travel for updated information.”
