Major rail disruption around Birmingham New Street after wires damaged

Nick Cosgriff, a passenger at Derby's station told the BBC that trains travelling to New Street from the north of the country were terminating at Derby instead, with trains arriving "every few minutes or so", resulting in large crowds.

He said there were hundreds of stranded rail passengers were waiting in Derby for promised replacement coaches to arrive.

"Throughout the late afternoon the crowds grew larger, as further trains arrived, decanting more passengers at Derby," he said.

Ian Farnell from West Bromwich got onto a train at Walsall which was headed for Birmingham.

He said: "The driver said New Street had lost power and that we could be stuck here for three minutes or three hours - he couldn't say which.

"Thankfully I could get a bus home from Walsall instead."

The wires were damaged between New Street and Water Orton in Warwickshire, according to post on X , external[1]by Transport for West Midlands.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said that at 13:40 BST "damaged overhead power lines were reported on the approach to Birmingham New Street station, near to Curzon Street".

Curzon Street is due to be the Birmingham terminus for the new HS2 line.

References

1. ^ according to post on X , external (x.com)