Commuters in and out of Bath were delayed by up to two hours yesterday after lightning caused a signal failure near London.
The lightning damaged the lineside signalling equipment between Slough and Langley, meaning trains were unable to travel safely on the lines in and out of London.
The problems were first reported at around 3pm, with Network Rail being sent to the scene to rectify the problem.
Trains were continually delayed throughout the afternoon and into the evening.
The London Paddington to Weston-Super-Mare service due through Bath Spa station at 21.40 was cancelled.
Trains began running on the lines again at around 10pm at limited speeds. This allowed earlier journeys to restart and commuters were met with up to two hours of onward delays.
The London Paddington to Exeter St David’s train was delayed by over two hours and passed through Bath Spa at 22.41, instead of the scheduled 20.40.
The problem caused knock on effects across the area as trains for connections were unavailable due to being in the wrong locations.
First Great Western estimated the delays were cleared by 2am this morning.
