STORM Eunice may have passed, but Storm Franklin has since arrived, bringing about yet more disruption to Newport and the South Wales area.

The weekend offered no respite in terms of weather, and while Monday brings in a new week, there is yet more traffic and travel misery for anyone looking to get from A to B this morning (Monday, February 21).

After a windswept Friday, the latest storm has prevented clean-up efforts across the region’s railway lines, and as a result, many trains are still unable to run at this time.

What’s more, Storm Franklin has brought with it yet more extreme winds, and around 70 flood warnings and alerts across Wales and the border regions.

Late last night, Network Rail brought in safety and speed restrictions – in a bid to keep passengers and railway staff safe from potentially dangerous conditions.

According to railway bosses, “services will be subject to alterations until routes have been deemed safe for trains to pass.”

This remains the case in Newport, and along routes which pass through Newport Railway Station, with the departure board currently painting a bleak picture.

South Wales Argus: The latest departure board at Newport Railway Station (Credit: National Rail)The latest departure board at Newport Railway Station (Credit: National Rail)

It comes as gusts of up to 60-70mph are expected in some areas.

More gale force winds could see trees already weakened from the previous storms at risk of coming down onto railway lines and the high-voltage web of overhead cables which power trains.

At this time, no trains are running between Newport and Gloucester, which is impacting the CrossCountry service to Nottingham.

There are further disruptions on the Wales and Borders line near Shrewsbury, while many of the Transport for Wales operated lines are currently offline too.

Meanwhile, over the weekend, hundreds of engineers have been out and about, working to repair storm damage which includes clearing around 100 fallen trees, securing roof panels and canopies, fixing damage to level crossing barriers and draining flooded parts of the tracks.

Trampolines, tin roofs, and whole fence panels are just some of the items which have blown onto the train tracks in Wales over the weekend.

Read more: Storm Franklin yellow weather warning traffic updates

‘Even more damage and disruption’

Commenting on the situation on the railways as we head into a new week, Bill Kelly, Wales & Borders route director, said: “This weekend’s weather has been one of the most challenging for the railway in recent years.

“As the huge clean-up from Storm Eunice was coming to an end, we find ourselves in the midst of a third major storm, which is likely to bring even more damage and disruption.

“With the winds picking up once more, we’re having to put further speed restrictions in place and close some lines, to keep our passengers and colleagues safe.

“We’re constantly monitoring the weather and the railway to make sure we can keep passenger and freight trains moving.

“I would like to thank everyone for their patience and ask that passengers please check their journey before setting off.”

Passengers are being urged to visit www.nationalrail.co.uk before they set out to check that their train is running and if there is any weather-related travel disruption so they can avoid very long journey times.