Thousands of commuters struggled to get home from London to the West last night after a ‘total signal failure’ near Swindon cancelled most trains to the region. Services to Swindon, Chippenham, Gloucestershire and Bristol were either diverted, delayed or cancelled with buses replacing trains between the capital and Bath and Chippenham.

Trains from South Wales and Bristol Parkway were being diverted via Gloucester.

Trains from Bristol Temple Meads headed through Wiltshire and the more southerly route into London, which caused delays on that line too.

A spokesman for First Great Western said most services between the West and London were affected.