Landslip at Crewkerne railway tunnel closes track

A railway line is shut so engineers can repair damage caused by a landslip.

Matt Pocock, Network Rail Wessex route director, said more than 90mm (9cm) of sustained heavy rain over 48 hours has caused the landslip above the Crewkerne tunnel in Somerset.

South Western Railway (SWR) services between Salisbury and Exeter are currently unable to run.

In better news for travellers, the A303 is now fully open between the A37 and A372.

Rail services through the Crewkerne tunnel are expected to resume Monday.

Passengers have been asked not to attempt to travel between Salisbury and Exeter until then.

Severe flooding is also impacting the planned rail replacement bus services.

Mr Pocock apologised for the disruption to rail passengers, but said: "If action isn't taken, it could spill over onto the tracks and risk the safety of passenger services."

He said engineers are working day and night so the line can be reopened in time for Monday.

Steve Tyler, South Western Railway's performance and planning director, said: "We know how disruptive this is for customers in the run-up to Christmas, so our teams are examining potential ways to run an extremely limited service between Salisbury and Yeovil Junction via Westbury in the coming days."

He asked passengers to check online for the latest updates.

National Highways has announced the A303 is reopened after being closed between the A37 and A372 near Podimore and the A3088 near Cartgate due to flooding.

It has warned commuters to keep an eye on updates due to more heavy rain expected overnight on Wednesday into Thursday.

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