RAIL services between Ipswich and Norwich were stopped today after a bridge was hit by a lorry near Stowmarket.

The accident happened at Bacton, a few miles north of Haughley junction, and forced the closure of the line while engineers assessed the damage and decided what repair work needs to be undertaken.

National Express East Anglia ran its InterCity trains as far as Stowmarket and then arranged a coach link to Diss where a shuttle service took passengers on to Norwich.

A spokesman for the rail company said trains between Suffolk and London were operating to their normal schedule, although their departure times may be slightly different.

The advice for people planning a day out to the capital was head to their station as planned and catch the next train to arrive – the journey should not take any longer than advertised.