Rail lines closed due to landslip and floods

A landslip near Honiton has blocked the west of England line

Rain, floods and landslips have caused rail delays and cancellations in Devon.

South Western Railway (SWR) said a landslip near Honiton blocked the west of England line, with services terminating at Axminster.

It tweeted that engineers were on site but services were expected to be disrupted until Tuesday.

Network Rail said teams were determining how to remove debris blocking the line.

Mark Killick, from Network Rail, said the landslip underscored the need for recent stabilisation works.

"We're delivering a scheme to stabilise the embankment but that work is ongoing," he said.

"We've been carrying work right along the line to prevent this sort of thing, but there is still work to be done and today's extreme weather has resulted in some material coming down onto the track, which has meant we've unfortunately closed the line."

Elsewhere, trains between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton, and Exeter and Barnstaple also saw weather-related problems.

Great Western Railway (GWR) services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton were cancelled, with some Exeter and Barnstaple trains also called off.

Heavy rain also flooded the railway between Crediton and Yeoford, National Rail added.

The Honiton landslip meant all lines were blocked between Axminster and Exeter St Davids, SWR said.

Rail bosses said that alterations were necessary "until further notice", with trains only running between London Waterloo and Axminster.

SWR said that, "due to difficulties in sourcing replacement transport", customers were "authorised to book their own taxi between Axminster and Exeter" and claim back the expense.

It said that tickets would be accepted on alternative routes, including:

• GWR between London Paddington and Exeter St Davids

• GWR between Reading and Basingstoke

• GWR between Salisbury and Westbury

GWR services are also being affected by industrial action.

In Cornwall, train lines affected by weather included the Par-Newquay branch line, which saw flooding.

Heavy rain and strong winds also caused road disruption across the South West, causing delays on the A38, A30 and M5.