West Midlands Railway has confirmed it is unable to run services on some Snow Hill routes following a large fire in Stourbridge that encroached onto railway embankments. The fire, which occurred yesterday (August 13), has led to a series of service reductions and rail replacement buses on affected lines.
Services affected on Snow Hill lines
The train operator has issued a statement detailing which services are impacted. Birmingham to Kidderminster services will now run only between Birmingham and Stourbridge. Meanwhile, Worcester to Hereford services will operate as scheduled. Birmingham to Worcester services are subject to alteration, and passengers are advised to check before travelling.
For those needing to travel between Stourbridge, Kidderminster, and Worcester, rail replacement buses will operate. Buses will depart from Stourbridge at XX:10 and XX:40 each hour from 06:10 until 23:40. From Worcester Shrub Hill, buses will depart at XX:20 and XX:50 from 06:20 until 22:50.
Delay repay and compensation
Passengers whose journeys are delayed by more than 15 minutes are advised to follow the link for details and to submit a claim for delay repay compensation. The operator has not specified the exact duration of the disruption.
Background on the fire
The fire started near Stourbridge Golf Course and left around 10 people injured, including a child. In addition, fires broke out on grassland in Solihull, on the M6, and near Price Avenue in Tamworth. West Midlands Railway's statement comes as emergency services continue to deal with the aftermath of the multiple blazes.
