A rail operator has been blasted after it admitted that it “cannot guarantee” passengers will reach their destination after flooding over the weekend.

Transport for Wales told passengers on Monday that it had been unable to secure replacement bus services between Newport and Hereford, affecting passengers travelling from Cwmbran, Pontypool and Abergavenny.

It also said rail services could not run, in part, due to the displacement of trains along its network and that it was working to get them back to their scheduled locations.

But one Senedd Member has hit out at the Welsh Government, which owns TfW, saying that flooding is “not an excuse” that bodes well with rail users.

Laura Anne Jones MS branded the lack of service a failure for people who regularly use the Marches line to commute.

“This is a shocking failure of planning. Storm damage is not an excuse,” she said.

“People rely on this line to get to work hospital appointments and education. The Welsh Government cannot simply shrug its shoulders and hope for the best while passengers are stranded without support.”

She added, “Transport for Wales has had years to prepare for weather disruption. Yet we now discover not only are trains cancelled but there are not even enough replacement buses.”

“People are being left with no way to complete essential journeys. It is not good enough.”

Ms Jones has called on Transport Minister Ken Skates to provide answers and emergency support for affected rail users while work continues on the damaged line. The closure was caused by a section of the track near Pandy becoming severely damaged, leaving a two-metre void between the suspension and the track.

Meanwhile, the operator has said anyone with tickets dated between November 14 and November 17 will be able to travel for free on Tuesday November 18 and apologised for any inconvenience caused.

Plaid Cymru’s Peredur Owen Griffiths MS has raised concerns about the commonality of flooding in Wales, saying these lifetime events seem to be getting more frequent and criticised existing flood defences.

“These major floods are becoming more and more common. What was once regarded as a once-in-a-lifetime weather event seems to be occurring annually,” he said.

“This means that serious thought has to be given to existing flood defences Some of them are clearly not robust enough for climate crisis we face. Taking action will take serious amounts of investment but this cost will be dwarfed by the cost of doing nothing.”

“The closure of the railway line between Newport and Hereford for several days while emergency repairs are conducted will have a huge cost for the local economy.”

“I know from visiting the Wales Rail Operating Centre earlier this year that delays to transport services as a result of our increasingly extreme weather are becoming more and more frequent.”

“We must reassess the measures and defences that were built at a time when the climate was different to what we experience now. The fact that this has changed in such a short space of time is frightening and must act a wakeup call.”