Railway Services Disrupted by Sewer Flooding at Newbury Station

A railway station has experienced flooding from a sewer following intense rainfall associated with Storm Bert. Train commuters are being alerted to potential extensive delays after both tracks and a platform at Newbury station in Berkshire became submerged. Great Western Railway (GWR) indicated that this situation has led to a reduction in the number of trains able to operate on certain lines, noting that Platform 1 was already closed due to damage from Storm Bert. GWR anticipated that services passing through Newbury would face cancellations and delays until the conclusion of the day. Direct train services between Newbury and London Paddington have been suspended. However, local stopping trains connecting Newbury with Reading, and Newbury with Bedwyn, along with high-speed long-distance trains that include a stop at Newbury, are still operational. Passengers are strongly advised to verify their journey details before traveling. A Thames Water spokesperson stated that the company had adopted a “proactive approach to reduce the risk of sewer flooding” at the station, with three tankers actively pumping away excess water since Saturday. The spokesperson added, “Unfortunately, the recent heavy rainfall, coupled with a wet year, and already high groundwater levels meant this wasn’t enough.” They further elaborated, “The volume of water which entered our local sewer system led to sewer flooding at the station.” The spokesperson concluded, “We continue to work closely with GWR to respond to this issue and are very sorry to commuters and local people for disruption caused today.”