'Another blow' as Storm Franklin floods wash away railway line near Welshpool
A section underneath the railway line outside Welshpool has been washed away in the post-storm floods.
Services on the Cambrian Line from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and Machynlleth were cancelled on Monday due to the severe weather. Not even replacement buses could run.
Now a photo has emerged showing the trackbed washed away near Welshpool station, leaving the tracks suspended on the stretch between there and Newtown.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “We’re really sorry for the disruption to our passengers on the Cambrian Line.
"After the impact of storms Eunice and Franklin, our engineers are on site near Welshpool where severe flooding has meant we’ve had to close the railway for safety reasons.
"It’s too early right now to say when the railway will be open again, but we’ll update passengers and the wider community on our plans as soon as we have more information. In the meantime, we would encourage passengers to check before they travel for the most up-to-date advice.”
Welshpool Llanerchyddol Councillor Graham Breeze, who sits on Powys Council, said the line's closure had already had a major impact on the town. The unknown time it will take to repair the tracks was another serious blow.
"It would be a major impact for the whole of mid Wales if the closure was an extended one. The line is the main line from the Midlands to the Welsh coast. It will be very concerning of there is a long closure. Carriages are always full and the line is well used.
"I would urge Network Rail to make the repair of this line a priority, which I am sure they will," he said.
