LIVE: Flooding brings sudden rail shutdown on several key Devon lines after Storm Chandra hits

10:30am travel update: Exeter-Plymouth rail disruption

Train services between Exeter St Davids and Plymouth are facing further disruption this morning due to severe weather and speed restrictions, with fewer trains able to run towards Newton Abbot.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said the disruption is being caused by Storm Chandra combined with a high tide in the Dawlish area, resulting in a reduced service on the line until at least 1pm.

Passengers are being warned that trains running through the area may be cancelled, revised or delayed by up to 25 minutes, with disruption expected to continue for the rest of the day.

Train services between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton have been cancelled this morning after flooding forced the closure of the line, according to Great Western Railway (GWR).

In an update issued on its website, GWR said “due to flooding between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton all lines are closed,” with disruption expected to continue until the end of the day. 

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The closure affects services to and from stations across the Dartmoor line, including Crediton and Okehampton.

GWR explained that rising floodwater can make it unsafe for trains to operate, warning that “debris may have moved onto the rails, or the ground underneath the track may have washed away,” while signalling and power systems can also be affected. Until water levels fall, the route will remain shut.

Passengers are being advised not to travel unless necessary. 

Rail tickets are being accepted on several Stagecoach bus services, including routes 5, 5A, 5B and 6A, linking Exeter, Crediton, Copplestone and Okehampton. 

However, GWR said it is only able to provide “extremely limited replacement transport” because of flooding across the wider area.

Customers delayed by 15 minutes or more can claim compensation through the operator’s Delay Repay scheme.

Elsewhere on the network, flooding has also caused cancellations between Exeter St Davids and Barnstaple, while services towards Taunton have been disrupted and trains between Exeter St Davids and Newton Abbot are running at reduced speed due to severe weather linked to Storm Chandra.

Passengers are urged to check the National Rail journey planner before travelling and to follow updates from @GWRHelp on social media