Closure of the line between Cardiff Airport and Llantwit Major was soon extended from Swansea to Newport as more flooding hit the network.

BBC: Flooding: Christmas rail travel resuming in south Wales

Mr Gallop said his company was looking at how it could make the railway network "more resilient to flooding".

BBC: England

When Sandy hit, water rushed in from the bay and a network of water channels, flooding hundreds of homes south of the Belt Parkway.

WSJ: Aid Shows Sandy's Reach

The number of flood warnings and alerts is starting to reduce, but homes, roads and the rail network continue to be affected by flooding in northern parts of England and Wales.

BBC: UK floods: Disruption threat receding

It said it would also reconfigure its underground network so that smaller areas can be shut down when flooding is anticipated.

WSJ: NY's Con Ed seeks $400 million in rate increases

Flooding in the city was continuing to cause disruption on the rail network on Thursday evening with cancellations to some services from Paddington.

BBC: Oxford floods: Clean-up as water recedes

But Network Rail engineer Steve Hawkins said they would have to wait for flooding to subside before they can begin repairs.

BBC: South West rail problems could last five days

TravelWatch SouthWest said the call was a reaction to the flooding which resulted in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset being cut off from London and the wider rail network for several days.

BBC: Abseilers inspect Devon railway line landslip

In March a network was set up called Sheffield Flood Resilience with the aim of helping people to become more resilient to flooding.

BBC: Flooded homes in South Yorkshire