Trespassers disrupt major train route during rush hour after day of travel chaos

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A resident of Marston Moretaine in Bedfordshire saw a car stuck in floodwater on the A421 and said he had never seen flooding like it in the area.

Lee Elliott, 36, told the PA news agency: ‘I’ve never seen anything like it. We’ve lived here for about 10 years and that is the worst I’ve ever seen it.

‘It has flooded there before, but nothing like that. It’s normally gone within a few hours.

‘I was out last night helping push cars out of the floods because we came home quite late last night and saw the cars stuck in there, so we went down there to help them.’

There are minor delays on the Circle, District, Metropolitan, Piccadilly and Overground lines.

Transport for London said the District line is also part suspended between Turnham Green and Richmond due to flooding.

The Overground is delayed between Willesden Junction and Stratford due to a power supply problem.

On the Metropolitan Line there are minor delays between Amersham and Moor Park due to train cancellations. 

On the Piccadilly Line there are minor delays between Rayners Lane and Uxbridge due to flooding caused by heavy rain.

Residents living in part of a Nottinghamshire village say they feel as though they are trapped in their homes after long-running roadworks were extended for another two months.

Neighbours living in and off Flawforth Lane, in Ruddington, are frustrated at the closure of the road while improvements are carried out on the junction with the A60.

To drive to the centre of the village – usually a 0.7-mile route – they face a four-mile diversion which encompasses the A52 and often hectic Nottingham Knight and Wheatcroft roundabouts.

The two-month works were scheduled to be completed this weekend (Saturday, September 21 and Sunday, September 22), but have now been extended to November 16, with neighbours claiming they were given little-to-no notice.

Gwen Eyre, who lives with her husband and two young boys in Flawforth Avenue, said she feels ‘trapped in my own house’.

‘It’s had a big affect on me. It’s made me feel really anxious,’ said the 47-year-old charity worker.

Benchmark Property, which is working with Newline Civils on the improvements, said it was doing its best to speed up the process.

A fault with the signalling system between Taunton and Bristol Temple Meads is disrupting services via Weston-super-Mare.

Some lines have been left blocked and as a result services from Taunton towards Bristol are unable to call at Weston-super-Mare.

Trains may be delayed by up to 15 minutes and is expected to last until 8pm.

A fault wit a signalling system is causing delays between Basingstoke and Winchester, with all journeys running between these stations disrupted.

Travellers should expected their journeys to be delays by up to 25 minutes until 10pm.

South Western Railway said disruptive passengers are affecting the railway between Raynes Park and Clapham Junction.

Trains may be cancelled, delayed or revised until 6.30pm.

In case you missed it this morning, here is the dramatic moment one firefighter pulled a driver from a flooded car in Wallington, south London.

The A5 has closed in Milton Keynes due to flooding – just some miles from the A421 which turned into a mini sea and trapped a car in the water.

Vehicles have reportedly become stranded in the flood water on the A5, an Inrix alert says.

The road is closed in both directions from A4146 (McDonalds roundabout) to Woburn Road.

The A414 has closed in Chipping Ongar, Essex, after a crash.

It is shut in both directions after a crash earlier today.

This is causing heavy traffic on the A414 Epping Road in both directions from the A128 High Street (Four Wantz Roundabout) to Stony Lane, traffic analyst Inrix says.

Airport passengers appear to have escaped the worst of the weather today as heavy rain is expected to continue – unlike travellers on road and rail.

Heathrow Airport said it is operating as normal today.

Despite the good news, a handful of flights have been cancelled.

Here are the cancellations according to the airport departure board.

• British Airways at 7.20am to Paris
• British Airways at 5.25am to Cologne
• British Airways at 10.25am to Delhi
• Virgin Atlantic at 11.15am to Miami
• British Airways at 11.40am to Belfast
• British Airways at 11.45am to Amsterdam
• British Airways at 12.10pm to Shanghai
• British Airways at 3.30pm to Nice
• British Airways at 4pm to Barcelona

Some flights were also listed as delayed on the departure board.

The situation is not looking much better on the London Underground and Overground after some lines remain suspended after flooding this morning.

Part of District, Metropolitan and Piccadilly line and the London Overground are still affected hours after the flooding hit during rush hour.

A TfL spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘We apologise to customers for the disruption to their journeys. This was caused by heavy rain overnight, which has led to flooding across a number of our services and stations. 

‘We are working hard to ensure that our transport services are resilient in the face of wet weather and our engineers are working to restore a normal service as quickly as possible.

‘We advise anyone travelling during periods of heavy rainfall to check before they travel in case of any disruption caused by flooding. Our staff are always available to help people get where they need to be.’

The airline has axed all holiday flights from Southampton Airport next summer – without explaining why.

Read all about it below.

Drivers and passengers should brace themselves for more torrential downpours and disruption later today – the Met Office amber rain warning is in place until the evening.

Read more below where the worst of heavy rain and flooding is expected.

A road remains closed in Wallington, Sutton, after severe flooding in the underpass.

One person was rescued from a trapped car in the early hours of the morning when a sudden downpour blocked the road.

Here is what the fire brigade said about the incident.

A spokesperson from London Fire Brigade told Metro.co.uk: ‘Firefighters attended a vehicle stranded in floodwater on Manor Road in Wallington at around 0115 (23 September).

‘The vehicle was stranded in around one metre’s worth of floodwater. One person was assisted from the vehicle by firefighters and a crew from Wallington Fire Station put a cordon in place.

‘After a night of heavy rain across London please take extra care if out and about today. Don’t drive through floodwater and take extra care on the roads. A foot of moving water at just 6mph is enough to float a car.

‘Always try and find an alternative route and make sure to check your journey before travelling.’

If you managed to travel to work without a hitch this morning, count yourself lucky.

South Western Railway (SWR) passengers still face cancellations, delays of up to half an hour and revisions after a faulty train.

This triggered National Rail to issue a warning for .

Flooding also disrupted SWR trains after a separate incident in the Walton-on-Thames area earlier today. All lines have since reopened, but trains could still be delayed by 50 minutes on that railway line.

Here are the affected routes where disruption is expected until 2pm.

• Between London Waterloo and Hampton Court / Strawberry Hill / Shepperton / Chessington South / Dorking / Guildford

Heavy rain is set to continue until tonight, with the Met Office warning of disruption as some areas could get as much as 120mm of rainfall in one day.

Several flood warnings are in place across England, and drivers have already navigated the watery chaos this morning to get to work.

In London, some roads have flooded, especially in the southwest and northwest corners of the Greater London area – including near the M25 in Surrey.

Here are the hotspots where roads are blocked due to flooding.

• Manor Road, Wellington – The A-road in Sutton near the station has been flooded at the underpass since the early hours of the morning. The road is blocked in both directions between Beddington Gardens and Melbourne Road (Wellington Station). A diversion is in place, including for eight bus routes
• Beddington Lane – The road is closed in both directions due to flooding between Coomber Way and Brookmead Road, causing congestion to Mitcham Common. Bus number 463 is using a detour
• in Chiswick – Traffic is queueing on the A4 into central London from M4 (J1 Chiswick Roundabout) to Gliddon Road due to flooding
• and Fort Road, Northolt – The road near Belvue Park and Grand Union Canal is partially blocked due to flooding
• West End Road – The A-road is closed in both directions due to flood water and traffic is queueing, Inrix travel alert says. It is affecting West End Road between Bedford Road and Sidmouth Drive, and buses E7 and 696 have been diverted
• – An entry ramp is closed on A3 northbound at M25 junction J10 (Wisley Interchange) in Surrey, and one lane is shut on the roundabout, causing delays in the area
• – The road is partially blocked due to flooding in both directions at Jewels Hill and Oaklands Lane. Bus number 464 is diverted

As the heavy rain swept in overnight, many roadside gutters were overwhelmed and roads flooded.

This appeared to happen at an underpass on Manor Road in Wallington, Sutton, where a car became trapped by flood water.

It is thought the car had tried to drive through the water which proved to be too high.

Footage taken by a nearby resident at about 1.30am shows a firefighter wade through the water to reach the floating car in the underpass.

The firefighter pulls the car closer before letting the driver out and walking them towards the fire engine.

London Fire Brigade said: ‘If you’re out on the roads today, please do not drive through floodwater.

‘A foot of moving water at just 6mph is enough to float a car. Always try and find an alternative route.’

Pouring rain is far from inviting when planning to cycle to work or school – although the right gear means it is doable in any weather.

Just as heavy rain sweeps across large parts of England and Wales, the Cycle to School Week kicks off.

More than 420 schools and their 125,000 pupils have pledged to swap car journeys for cycling to get to school this week.

It is expected to ease congestion on the school runs by removing an estimated 56,500 cars from UK roads, The Bikeability Trust said, who is organising the initiative on behalf of Active Travel England.

This could lower carbon emissions, improve air quality, help tackle childhood obesity by encouraging kids to move and teach life skills.

Pauline David, head teacher at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Birmingham, said: ‘As a school, we are fully invested in sustainable education and participate in Cycle to School Week every year.

‘The children love being able to do this, and occasionally, we get some parents joining in, too! We are always looking for as many ways as possible for our children to develop knowledge and understanding of the impact we are all having on our planet.

‘Initiatives such as Cycle to School Week allow us to teach the children about the many physical development, health, wellbeing, environmental, and traffic congestion reduction benefits of cycling or scooting to school.

‘We hope these small changes in behaviour will lead to a lifelong love of cycling and a deeper understanding of how each child can make a difference in the world’s future, which we are here to steward for future generations.’

Jumping in your car and hitting the road – rain or shine – can feel like a no-brainer.

However, there are some things to bear in mind – especially during heavy rain like today.

Every driver’s worst nightmare is which is a risk during heavy rain when water builds up on the roads.

Here is a list of advise from National Highways on wet weather road safety.

• Before you travel – Plan the route, check services along the way, make sure your lights and fog lights work and you know how to use them, check the weather forecast and traffic conditions, and adjust the time you travel if possible.
• On the road – If you need to use your wipers, it’s time to slow down, National Highways said.
• Drivers should use dipped headlights when visibility is seriously reduced
• Roads will be more slippery than usual, so give yourself more time to react by increasing the gap between vehicles
• Look out for standing water
• Sudden spray can affect yours and others’ visibility, so keep your eyes on the road and be prepared for sudden actions

Heavy rain can bring all sorts of trouble on the roads, including aquaplaning.

It can cause a loss of driving control when . The pressure then pushes water under the tyre which creates a thin layer between the rubber and the road surface, National Highways explained.

It might be tempting to try breaking as quickly as possible as aquaplaning is scary, but this should be avoided.

• Don’t break hard
• Instead, gently ease off the accelerator
• Hold the steering wheel straight
• Switch off cruise control if using it
• When the vehicle gains control again, you can start braking gently to bring the speed down

Chris Wood, AA’s patrol of the year, said: ‘If you do need to travel be aware driving conditions can quickly deteriorate during very heavy rainfall, with drains becoming swamped or blocked and standing water causing problems such as surface spray, reduced visibility and potentially leading to flooding.

‘Reduce speed and leave more space between yourself and other vehicles.

‘Check the travel news before you set off and take particular care where roads dip, for example under railway bridges, which are more likely to flood. If the road ahead is flooded, don’t chance it – flood water can be deceptively deep so turn around and find another route.’