Torrential rain has damaged several parts of the rail network. The areas worst affected are northern England and north Wales, but a bridge failure in south west London has led to emergency arrangements being made for fans heading to tomorrow's rugby international at Twickenham.

The worst of the rain swept across north Wales and England, leaving lines blocked between Carlisle and Barrow and also between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Floods at North Llanwrst mean that buses will replace trains on the Blaenau branch until further notice, said Network Rail. On the Cumbrian Coast, there were no trains running between Carlisle and Workington or between Sellafield and Millom. The town of Cockermouth is seriously flooded: conditions in the area are said to be so bad that roads are impassable as well, and passengers have been urged not to attempt to travel.

There was trouble further inland too, when a landslip blocked the West Coast Main Line near Penrith, but the line has now been cleared and trains are running between Lancaster and Glasgow again.

The impact of the weather has also been felt in south west London where a bridge has subsided, blocking the lines from Whitton and Hounslow to Feltham. Thousands of rugby fans will be heading to Twickenham on Saturday afternoon to see England play the All Blacks, and a special service of eight trains an hour has been arranged direct from Waterloo. Fans from the West Country are being urged to travel via Paddington and the Underground to Richmond, from where buses will take them to the match. Ascot racegoers are also being affected: they are being advised to use Ash Vale station today and tomorrow, from where a special bus service will take them to the course.

The outlook remains stormy. The band of rain which has caused all the trouble has now rolled away to the continent, but another weather front is expected to cross Wales and England from west to east on Saturday.