The Heart of Wales Line is currently closed between Llanelli and Shrewsbury. This is due to a freight train which derailed near Llangennech, and damage as a result of extreme weather between Llandrindod Wells and Craven Arms.
How is this affecting the train service?
Trains are unable to run between Llanelli and Shrewsbury.
Network Rail is working around the clock to repair both sites with the storm damage expected to be finished in November, while the section of the Heart of Wales line near Llangennech will reopen in the New Year.
Alternative travel options
Replacement buses:
Buses and minibuses will replace trains along the whole of the Heart of Wales Line route, between Swansea and Shrewsbury. For those stations with minibus-only access, customers may be required to change between larger buses and minibuses. A full size coach will operate a limited stop service and a minibus will serve all stations.
Buses will call at Hopton Heath by request.
The duration of road journeys can be considerably longer than the trains they replace. The duration of a typical bus journey along the whole route is between 6 and 7 hours.
For helpful advice if you need to travel on a rail replacement service, including accessibility information, please use this page.
You can find the location of your bus replacement by checking station signs or by searching for your station on our station information pages.
Alternative rail routes:
Through travel along the whole of this route can be made via Newport / Hereford / Shrewsbury (Marches route).
Longer journeys, that involve starting or ending a journey at a station on the Heart of Wales Line, can be made via the Marches route and connecting with buses at Shrewsbury / Craven Arms / Swansea / Llanelli, providing such a journey can be completed using the advertised train and bus replacement services currently in place.
What happened?
On Wednesday 12 and Thursday 13 August, extreme weather resulted in damage to the railway in various locations between Llandrindod Wells and Craven Arms. The damage included a 350m stretch of ballast being washed away and a significant amount of debris being washed onto the track, resulting in the track being completely buried in some areas. Network Rail engineers are working around the clock to inspect and repair the damage, and will confirm how long the closure will last as soon as possible. More details can be found here.
On Wednesday 26 August, a freight train transporting diesel fuel derailed and caught fire in the Llangennech area. The remaining diesel from the wagons has been removed and the damaged wagons have all been removed from site by road. Network Rail are now repairing damage to the rail infrastructure. Regular updates from Network Rail can be found here and a short video can also be viewed here.
Check before you travel:
You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner