SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY has said that trains between Reading and Waterloo will continue to be affected until at least 5pm this evening after a car collided with a train in Wokingham late last night.
A 29-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of drink driving.
The incident took place around 11.20pm yesterday evening at the Waterloo Road level crossing in Wokingham.
All services have been suspended to allow Network Rail’s rescue teams enough time to remove the car and train safely.
Initially, it had been hoped to restore services by 10am, then 2pm, but now 5pm is the new target.
The Easthampstead Road level crossing has reopened, but the Waterloo Road line remains closed.
Reading Buses and Courtney Buses are reporting delays on the road network as a result.
It’s not the only problem on the railway today.
Heavy rain has seen a landslip on a different part of the route into London, albeit a different branch.
South Western Railway is reporting that there are currently no trains between Epsom and Ewell West – two stations on the Heritage line toward Weymouth.
Although this doesn’t directly affect the Waterloo to Reading line – and the stations in the borough, Wokingham, Winnersh, Winnersh, Triangle and Earley – there may be some knock-on delays as a result.
The two lines are shared until Clapham Junction, where the journeys then split, with the Reading bound trains heading past Twickenham and the Weymouth bound lines go to Wimbledon.
South Western Railway said in a service update: “Train services between Epsom and Ewell West will be cancelled in both directions. It will take a few days to assess the situation and to determine the extent of repairs required.
“We will update this message once we receive new information and confirmation of the expected timescales.”
As we reported earlier, customers with valid rail tickets can catch the Lion X4/4 buses to Reading town centre and then walk to Reading Station where they can take a train to London Paddington.
Replacement buses will run between Wokingham and Ascot and all stations in between.
