Rail passengers travelling between Oxford and London faced delays and cancellations yesterday after high winds blew down electric power lines.

All Thames Trains and First Great Western trains were cancelled for almost an hour at lunchtime after overhead lines came down on a stretch of line between Paddington Station and the junction for Heathrow Airport.

The stoppage continued to have a knock-on effect for the rest of the day, affecting some evening rush hour services.

Services between London and South Wales were also disrupted due to flooding in a tunnel near Chipping Sodbury in Wiltshire.

The flooding also affected services between the capital and Oxfordshire.

Thames Trains spokesman Jonathon Radley said: "When you get disruption like that you get trains and drivers in the wrong place and that backs up all down the line."

Services today were expected to run as usual.