RAIL passengers using Lydney have faced a frustrating spell of disruption after a series of incidents affected services through the Forest of Dean over little more than a week.

The latest problems struck on Bank Holiday Monday, August 31, when a broken rail between Gloucester and Chepstow led to cancellations, delays and diversions on services passing through Lydney.

National Rail warned that trains could be delayed by up to 30 minutes, cancelled or revised, with the disruption continuing into the early hours of Tuesday morning.

CrossCountry services between Cardiff Central and Birmingham, Nottingham and Edinburgh were affected, alongside Transport for Wales trains running between Cardiff and Gloucester or Cheltenham Spa.

CrossCountry warned passengers that Lydney, Chepstow, Caldicot and Severn Tunnel Junction would not be served by some trains, with services instead diverted via Bristol Parkway.

One affected CrossCountry service from Cardiff Central to Birmingham New Street was started from Gloucester instead, missing Cardiff, Newport, Severn Tunnel Junction, Caldicot, Chepstow and Lydney.

Passengers were advised that tickets could be used on alternative CrossCountry, Great Western Railway and Transport for Wales services during the disruption.

The broken rail came just two days after another similar problem caused disruption along the railway corridor.

On Saturday, August 29, a broken rail between Severn Tunnel Junction and Cheltenham Spa affected CrossCountry services between Cardiff and Birmingham and Transport for Wales trains between Cardiff and Gloucester or Cheltenham.

The disruption continued late into Saturday evening before services were able to return to normal.

Passengers had already experienced problems earlier in the week when a safety inspection was required on the railway between Lydney and Gloucester on Tuesday, August 25.

National Rail said the inspection, combined with a separate broken-down train affecting services towards Bristol Parkway and Newport, disrupted CrossCountry, Transport for Wales and Great Western Railway passengers.

Services were affected for several hours before the railway returned to normal later that afternoon.

It means passengers using the Forest town have been caught up in three separate infrastructure-related incidents in the space of seven days.

There was further disruption on Monday, August 24, when emergency services dealt with an incident between Caldicot and Lydney.

The railway between Severn Tunnel Junction and Gloucester was closed, forcing trains to be cancelled or diverted via Bristol Parkway before the line reopened later that night.

Earlier in August, urgent track repairs at Caldicot also affected Transport for Wales services between Newport and Gloucester on August 20.

The succession of incidents has created a difficult period for passengers relying on Lydney, the Forest of Dean's principal railway station, for services towards Gloucester and South Wales.

Monday's broken rail was eventually repaired overnight, allowing trains to resume running normally through the area in time for services on Tuesday.

The incidents have involved different causes and locations, but together have resulted in repeated disruption for passengers travelling through Lydney during the final weeks of the summer.