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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
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| Christmas travellers face major disruption due to rain | Christmas travellers face major disruption due to rain |
| (about 1 month later) | |
| Train passengers and motorists face major disruptions to their Christmas travel on Saturday with heavy rain and flooding closing roads and stretches of rail track. | Train passengers and motorists face major disruptions to their Christmas travel on Saturday with heavy rain and flooding closing roads and stretches of rail track. |
| The Environment Agency issued four severe flood warnings and 50 flood warnings for the south-west of England, and around 200 people in Helston in Cornwall were evacuated from their homes. Another 28 flood warnings were in place in the Midlands, with the same number in place across other regions of England and Wales, and a further 16 in Scotland. | The Environment Agency issued four severe flood warnings and 50 flood warnings for the south-west of England, and around 200 people in Helston in Cornwall were evacuated from their homes. Another 28 flood warnings were in place in the Midlands, with the same number in place across other regions of England and Wales, and a further 16 in Scotland. |
| The town of Braunton in north Devon was effectively cut off, with homes and shops under water, after the river Caen burst its banks. | The town of Braunton in north Devon was effectively cut off, with homes and shops under water, after the river Caen burst its banks. |
| Tom Tobler, a forecaster with MeteoGroup said "heavy and persistent" rain would affect almost every part of the UK on Saturday, after heavy rain swept the country overnight. | Tom Tobler, a forecaster with MeteoGroup said "heavy and persistent" rain would affect almost every part of the UK on Saturday, after heavy rain swept the country overnight. |
| He said: "The south-west has seen the worst of it as the rain moved in there during yesterday evening. Plymouth has recorded 49mm (2in) of rain in the last 12 hours, and across the south-west and south Wales there has been 15mm to 30mm fairly widely. | He said: "The south-west has seen the worst of it as the rain moved in there during yesterday evening. Plymouth has recorded 49mm (2in) of rain in the last 12 hours, and across the south-west and south Wales there has been 15mm to 30mm fairly widely. |
| "Cornwall may have another 15mm of rain to come, and it wouldn't take that much to create extra problems. The rain is pretty bad news for that part of the country, but it is going to be a wet day everywhere, really." | "Cornwall may have another 15mm of rain to come, and it wouldn't take that much to create extra problems. The rain is pretty bad news for that part of the country, but it is going to be a wet day everywhere, really." |
| A signalling problem caused by a fire on Friday that damaged cables and signalling equipment at Preston Park was also causing major disruption near Brighton. | A signalling problem caused by a fire on Friday that damaged cables and signalling equipment at Preston Park was also causing major disruption near Brighton. |
| Flooding and landslides were causing problems in the south-west. There were no trains between Plymouth and Tiverton Parkway or Taunton, and a replacement bus service was to run from Exeter St Davids to Tiverton Parkway and Taunton, but was expected to be busy. Flooding was also causing disruption between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall, with bus services replacing trains. | Flooding and landslides were causing problems in the south-west. There were no trains between Plymouth and Tiverton Parkway or Taunton, and a replacement bus service was to run from Exeter St Davids to Tiverton Parkway and Taunton, but was expected to be busy. Flooding was also causing disruption between Liskeard and Looe in Cornwall, with bus services replacing trains. |
| A landslip disrupted trains in the Glazebrook area, near Warrington. The First TransPennine Express service from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Piccadilly was diverted via Newton-le-Willows, and buses were replacing trains from Warrington Central to Manchester Oxford Road. There was also a reduced service running from Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street. Arriva Trains Wales told passengers to avoid any rail travel in south Wales. | A landslip disrupted trains in the Glazebrook area, near Warrington. The First TransPennine Express service from Liverpool Lime Street to Manchester Piccadilly was diverted via Newton-le-Willows, and buses were replacing trains from Warrington Central to Manchester Oxford Road. There was also a reduced service running from Manchester Piccadilly to Liverpool Lime Street. Arriva Trains Wales told passengers to avoid any rail travel in south Wales. |
| First Great Western warned that because of the flooding disrupting services to the south-west, services operating from London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads towards Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance and in the opposite direction would terminate at either Taunton or Tiverton Parkway, while other services due to operate through, to or from Penzance wwould start or terminate at Exeter St Davids. | First Great Western warned that because of the flooding disrupting services to the south-west, services operating from London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads towards Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance and in the opposite direction would terminate at either Taunton or Tiverton Parkway, while other services due to operate through, to or from Penzance wwould start or terminate at Exeter St Davids. |
| The transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said: "Exceptional weather conditions are having a serious impact on the transport network at what is already a difficult time of year. | The transport secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said: "Exceptional weather conditions are having a serious impact on the transport network at what is already a difficult time of year. |
| "The Highways Agency and Network Rail have emergency staff working round the clock to keep motorways and rail tracks open where it is safe to do so while train operators are working hard to keep services running. | "The Highways Agency and Network Rail have emergency staff working round the clock to keep motorways and rail tracks open where it is safe to do so while train operators are working hard to keep services running. |
| "We urge people travelling through the most affected areas to plan ahead and check the latest travel information. We will continue to ensure everything possible is being done to help people get to where they need to be for Christmas." | "We urge people travelling through the most affected areas to plan ahead and check the latest travel information. We will continue to ensure everything possible is being done to help people get to where they need to be for Christmas." |
| Flooding was also affecting the road network. The A19 was affected at the junction with the A139 in County Durham, with one lane on the southbound entry slip closed and the northbound exit slip road shut. | Flooding was also affecting the road network. The A19 was affected at the junction with the A139 in County Durham, with one lane on the southbound entry slip closed and the northbound exit slip road shut. |
| There were also delays on the A27 eastbound between B2144 and A285 near Chichester because of flooding, the A1 near Gateshead, the A64 near Norton-on-Derwent, M3 Junction 1 and M50 Junction 5. | There were also delays on the A27 eastbound between B2144 and A285 near Chichester because of flooding, the A1 near Gateshead, the A64 near Norton-on-Derwent, M3 Junction 1 and M50 Junction 5. |
| The cancellation of the Heathrow Express rail service in London forced many of the 123,000 departing passengers to take the tube instead. | The cancellation of the Heathrow Express rail service in London forced many of the 123,000 departing passengers to take the tube instead. |
| Heathrow is due to handle a further 114,000 departures on Sunday and 88,000 on Christmas Eve. | Heathrow is due to handle a further 114,000 departures on Sunday and 88,000 on Christmas Eve. |
| Two mainline rail strikes that threatened travel chaos over the Christmas period were called off, but on the London Underground, the train drivers' union Aslef is stopping work on Boxing Day. | Two mainline rail strikes that threatened travel chaos over the Christmas period were called off, but on the London Underground, the train drivers' union Aslef is stopping work on Boxing Day. |
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