Commuters faced lengthy delays today after a railway bridge collapsed into a river following heavy rain.

Flood damage to the bridge over the river Crane, in Feltham, caused chaos on South West Trains (SWT) services this morning. Part of the London Waterloo line was closed leaving thousands stranded or facing lengthy commutes on replacement bus services.

It follows torrential rain and high winds that battered London at the weekend.

All South West Trains between Feltham and Waterloo have been cancelled.

Trains between Waterloo and Weybridge via Hounslow and Feltham, in both directions, were today being diverted via Wimbledon, and will not serve intermediate stations between Clapham Junction and Staines.

Trains will only run between Staines and Weybridge from tomorrow, connecting with other services.

Those running from Waterloo to Waterloo, all the way around the Hounslow loop in both directions, will run as normal, meaning stations on this route - Hounslow, Isleworth, Syon Lane, Brentford, Kew Bridge, Chiswick and Barnes Bridge - will have only a half-hourly service.

A bus shuttle service will operate between Feltham and Twickenham, and passengers travelling from Hounslow loop stations to Feltham will need to change to shuttle buses at Twickenham, or to route 235 at Isleworth station.

Passengers travelling from Hounslow loop stations to Ashford or Staines will need to change to shuttle buses at Twickenham, or to route 235 at Isleworth station then to trains at Feltham.

Passengers travelling today from Hounslow loop stations to stations between Egham and Weybridge or Egham and Reading will need to change to shuttle buses at Twickenham, or to route 235 at Isleworth station then to Windsor and Eton trains at Feltham, then to Weybridge or Reading trains at Staines.

From tomorrow, passengers travelling from Hounslow loop stations to those between Feltham and Reading or Feltham and Windsor will need to change to shuttle buses at Twickenham, or to bus route 235 at Isleworth station, then to these trains at Feltham.

Passengers for Chertsey, Addlestone and Weybridge will also need to travel by these services and change again at Staines.

Passengers from Hounslow loop stations or the central Hounslow area can also use bus route 117 to travel to Feltham and to Staines via Lower Feltham.

First Great Western trains will accept South West Trains tickets between London and Reading or Windsor.

London Buses will accept South West Trains tickets between Feltham, Osterley and Hounslow.

London Underground will accept South West Trains tickets between Osterley, Richmond and Central London, or any reasonable alternative route.

Passengers wishing to travel between Feltham and Waterloo have been advised to make alternative arrangements, with the recommended bus routes being H25, H26, 90, 285 or 490 to Hatton Cross underground station, then Piccadilly Line train to central London.

The disruption is expected to last at least until the end of the week.

The collapse of the 100-year-old bridge has sparked fears that passengers could have been in danger of potential disaster for months.

A walker said he had noticed a 4ft wide hole developing on the river bank next to the bridge since a large tree fell across the river in the summer, deviating the water flow.

Simon Butler, 49, of Cygnet Avenue, Feltham, was walking by the bridge this morning when he saw the damage.

He said he was told by the engineers that the line could be out of action for up to three months - however on the platform at Staines, commuters were told over a loudspeaker that it would be four weeks.

He said: “There’s engineers, the Environment Agency and all sorts of people down there.

“I’ve just been down there talking to some of the guys and they said it’s going to be out for three months.

“Christmas is going to be murder. It’s huge, all of one corner of the bridge has just collapsed into the river.

“From down on the river bank you can actually see a light up onto the track. I don’t think any trains were derailed, but just how it got discovered would be interesting.”

Mr Butler, who used to work on the railways, said it appeared as though the fast flowing river took out a bottom corner of the bridge, next to Hounslow Heath golf course, during heavy rain on Saturday night.

He said a large tree fell across the river in August, and he later noticed a hole on the river bank developing next to the bridge during his regular walks near the river.

He said: "When I was down there yesterday, bits were still falling out of it as we watched it, and the danger is there is more rain forecast.”

A spokesman for Network Rail said: “The railway bridge over the river Crane on the southern edge of Hounslow Heath was damaged over the weekend after heavy rainfall caused the river to swell.

"Early indications suggest that the increased speed and turbulence of the river washed away some of the foundations of the 100-year-old bridge, damaging the main arch.

"Network Rail technicians and divers are on site to assess the structure and plans will be put in place to carry out repairs so the railway can be reopened as quickly as possible.

“No trains will be able to cross the bridge until the repairs have been carried out.

"Alternative travel arrangements have been put in place so passengers can continue to make their journeys.”

Full details of alternative travel arrangements are available at southwesttrains.co.uk.

• Have you been affected by the travel chaos? Let us know by email (gholt@london.newsquest.co.uk), phone the newsdesk on 020 8744 4271 or leave a comment below.