THERE was widespread disruption to travel in Machynlleth on Monday after “dangerous” flooding led to the closure of the Dyfi Bridge and the Cambrian railway line.

Rail services between Machynlleth and Newtown were suspended for seven hours as Network Rail called in specialist divers to assess whether Black Bridge in Glantwymyn had suffered any structural damage as a result of “excessive water levels”.

And a swollen River Dyfi forced the closure of the A487 between Machynlleth and the Dyfi Bridge on Monday following one-and-a-half inches of rainfall in Llanbrynmair overnight — the highest in Wales, according to the Met Office.

Local residents have questioned why the bridge was closed to traffic for so long. They claimed that the water receded quickly and could easily have been pumped out.

Lynne Milligan, customer services director for Arriva Trains Wales, said: “We’d like to thank customers for their patience during this morning’s disruption along the Cambrian Line.

“Safety has to come first, although we do of course recognise the impact this flooding has had on our customers.

“We are pleased to have worked closely with Network Rail to minimise the impact on services and to be able to restart services along the line as soon as it was safe to do so.”

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