Rail passengers were able to travel between Feltham and Twickenham today after engineers built a temporary detour around a collapsed bridge.

Network Rail has launched an investigation into how a 100-year-old bridge over the River Crane, Feltham, was severely damaged during heavy rain on November 14.

Engineers have designed and built a small loop around the track crossing the crumbling arch, on the adjacent site of the former Feltham marshalling yard.

It will allow trains to cross the river safely while Network Rail continues to repair the permanent structure.

Richard O'Brien, Wessex route director for Network Rail, said: "Once we had established the level of damage the flood water had caused, we put all our effort into getting train services running as quickly as possible.

“The solution we've developed will allow passengers to make their journeys safely and with minimal disruption while we carry out the full repairs.“

Andy Pitt, managing director of South West Trains, added: "We apologise for any disruption passengers have experienced over the last week and would like to thank customers for their patience during what has been a challenging time.

“We recognise how important it is for passengers to have a through service restored as soon as possible and have worked extremely hard alongside Network Rail to try and ensure this will be the case from today.

“While there is still extensive repair work to be carried out on the bridge, the solution we have in place will ensure our customers can get back to normal and complete their journeys with minimal disruption.

"I would also like to thank our staff who have worked extremely hard to provide the service while the line was blocked last week."

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