A TRAIN is reported to have collided with a tree near Bracknell, as the storm approaches. Meanwhile, Network Rail is advising passengers to 'avoid Paddington', as a combination of river flooding and rising groundwater continues to hamper services between London, Reading and Oxford.

Only four or five trains an hour are able to run on the Great Western Main Line through Maidenhead, which normally sees more than twice that number, because signalling equipment has been swamped.

Network Rail managing director, network operations, Robin Gisby said parts of southern England now resemble 'an inland sea', and that Network Rail engineers are monitoring hundreds of potentially vulnerable locations.

Delays are also continuing in many other places, and forecasters are warning that wind speeds are set to strengthen almost everywhere as the day goes on, with the possibility of 150km/h gusts in west and north Wales and exposed places in northern England. The speed of trains on the West Coast Main Line has been reduced north of Preston and on other lines in the far north west.

Virgin Trains is withdrawing its services between Bangor and Holyhead from 14.00 as the storm approaches, and there are speed restrictions on other lines in North Wales. Also in Wales, the train service is suspended between Fernhill and Aberdare because of flooding at Cwmbach.

In the south west, the Bristol to Taunton route remains blocked by more than a kilometre of flooded track at Bridgwater, while there may be no trains running through Dawlish before April, following the major tidal damage to the sea wall and main line a few days ago. A row of 11 shipping containers filled with sand and stone has been created by welding them together to form a new temporary sea wall, while scaffolding is currently being erected to give workers better access to begin repairs. All lines west of Exeter are also affected today by a blanket emergency speed restriction of 50mph, because of high winds.

Flybe has doubled its service from three to six daily flights between Newquay and Gatwick from today, and the Department for Transport has provided the funds to allow the controversial £5 charge for passengers using Newquay Cornwall Airport to be suspended for the next two weeks. Business leaders in west Devon and Cornwall have been warning of damage to the region's economy as a result of the loss of the only through rail link to the rest of the country.

In the south east several lines remain blocked by landslips. These include one at Oxted which has disrupted services to Uckfield and East Grinstead, and others at several locations on the line between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings, closing the route entirely.

The branch between Staines and Windsor also remains closed because of the severe floods at Datchet.

The Department for Transport has so far been unable to comment on reports that £60 million of unspent budget could now be used for railway repairs.