Storm Goretti travel disruption continues as Heart of Wales line remains shut

Passengers across Wales are facing delays, cancellations and replacement bus services as Storm Goretti continues to cause disruption on the rail network.

The Heart of Wales line between Swansea and Shrewsbury remains closed, with no train services running in either direction on Saturday.

Transport for Wales said the route is likely to remain shut for the rest of the day, with disruption expected until services finish tonight.

Rail replacement buses are running where possible, but operators warned that some roads in rural mid Wales remain difficult to access due to snow and ice – and in some areas buses are not able to operate at all.

Network Rail engineers inspecting the line between Llanelli and Shrewsbury reported heavy snowfall, fallen trees and downed power lines blocking tracks. Some signalling equipment and track points have also frozen in sub-zero conditions.

The chaos follows Storm Goretti’s blast of snow, wind and freezing rain earlier this week, which brought down power lines and forced school closures.

Rail operators were forced to suspend or scale back services across Wales and the Borders to protect staff and passengers, in line with Met Office warnings.

Alongside the Heart of Wales line, services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham International remain suspended, with Network Rail saying conditions are still too hazardous for passenger trains or replacement buses.

Safety checks

Across the rest of Wales, most mainline routes have reopened, but operators warn timetables may still be altered at short notice while crews clear residual snow and check the safety of infrastructure.

Knock-on delays are likely until engineers complete recovery work.

Network Rail’s Wales and Borders route director Nick Millington said staff had been working around the clock in “extremely challenging conditions”.

“Storm Goretti brought heavy snow, high winds and freezing temperatures, affecting several locations,” he said. “While much of the network is now reopening, there will be ongoing disruption as we return services to normal. We’d like to thank passengers for their patience.”

Travellers can check the latest updates via tfw.wales/service-status or on National Rail Enquiries.

With cold weather warnings still in place across parts of Wales, further disruption remains possible over the weekend.