Dear Graham,

We promised to keep you updated on the impact of recent storms on the rail network. We're very grateful for the patience of our customers and communities over the past week as we've dealt with substantial flooding and damage to the railway, and the resulting impact on our train services.

Currently, the Barnstaple, Okehampton, Newquay and Looe lines remain closed. All four of these routes have substantial damage due to flooding and landslips. Our teams are working very hard each day to get these lines safely reopened as quickly as possible, but in some cases have not yet been able to assess damage because flood levels are too high and the flow of water is too fast.

As it stands, we hope that the Barnstaple and Okehampton lines will reopen for passenger services on Tuesday 3rd February, though this is subject to change. We are now able to run an hourly all stations replacement bus, an hourly direct Barnstaple-Exeter replacement bus, and a two-hourly Okehampton to Exeter replacement bus. Capacity is limited so we're asking customers to consider if their journey is necessary before setting off. Full details including ticket acceptance on local buses is available here and our team are updating journey planners as soon as possible.

The Par-Newquay line also remains closed due to flooding, and we anticipate rail services will not start again until Monday 2nd February at the earliest. Replacement buses are in operation, running from St Austell instead of Par, and we also have ticket acceptance on local buses.

Finally, the Looe line also remains closed due to damage caused by storms and flooding. This closure is expected to last until next week at the earliest and again we have replacement buses and local ticket acceptance in place.

Customers should continue to check their journeys at www.gwr.com/check or through our social media channels. With flooding still in place and saturated ground, it is possible that further rain will result in more disruption and we will of course keep you updated.

Any help you can give to share this amongst your networks would be much appreciated, and if there's any questions you may have please do not hesitate to let us know.

Travel warnings as snow and ice predicted in Devon and Cornwall

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A snowy scene near Liskeard in Cornwall

A yellow warning for ice and snow is in place across Devon and Cornwall, and is scheduled to last until Tuesday.

The Met Office warned of scattered sleet and snow showers, and icy patches which may cause some travel disruption on Sunday, Monday and into Tuesday morning. Another school is closed because of a heating failure.

The ice, sleet and snow warnings start at 12:00 GMT on Sunday and run continuously until 11:00 on Tuesday.

Some roads and rail journeys are likely to be affected and there is an increased risk of injuries from slips and falls on icy surfaces.

People are also advised there are also likely to be some icy patches on untreated roads, pavements and cycle paths.

Devon County Council said gritters were out across the county, external and would be out again early on Monday.

Cornwall Council urged people to travel carefully and allow extra time for their journeys.

St Luke's Church of England School in Exeter is closed on Monday because of a heating failure, and Ashwater Primary School and Halwill Primary School in Beaworthy are opening at 10:00 GMT to give time to travel due to the icy conditions forecast.

Details of school closures are published on this Devon County Council page.

Four Plymouth churches have opened their doors to the homeless due to the drop in temperatures.

Project 58:7, launched by Path and charity Transforming Plymouth Together, sees the city centre churches transformed into warm shelters until March. The scheme, funded by the Rank Foundation, offers hot drinks, clean bedding and specialist support.

Victoria Allen, Path chief executive, said: "We see every day the fear, exhaustion and worsening health that comes from trying to survive on the streets. Project 58:7 is a compassionate and practical response, giving people not only a safe night's sleep but the chance to stabilise, feel valued, and begin moving forward."

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Forecasters have warned of flooding and travel delays with a weather warning issued for Cornwall and parts of Devon.

The Met Office has put out a yellow warning for rain across Cornwall and in areas such as Plymouth and north Devon from 06:00 GMT until 23:59 on Monday.

The warning said heavy rain was expected to cause delays and flooding in places. It said spray and flooding on roads would "probably make journey times longer and bus and train services probably affected".

The warning said: "A band of rain is likely to become slow-moving across parts of southwest England during Monday.

"Given the recent wet weather and saturated ground, the likelihood of impacts is higher," a spokesperson added.

The Met Office advised people to check if their properties could be at risk of flooding and if so, to prepare a flood plan and an emergency flood kit.

The spokesperson said people should amend travel plans if necessary. They added: "Be prepared for weather warnings to change quickly: when a weather warning is issued, the Met Office recommends staying up to date with the weather forecast in your area."