Commuters and travellers in the West Midlands are facing significant disruption this morning after heavy flooding has severely impacted a key railway line.
Major Disruption on the Line
West Midlands Railway has been forced to cancel or divert numerous services running between Birmingham New Street and Stratford-upon-Avon. The operator first issued a warning to passengers about the severe problems at 9pm on Thursday, 19th December, with the issues continuing throughout Friday morning.
Emergency Travel Arrangements
To mitigate the travel chaos, emergency transport measures have been put in place. Rail replacement bus services are now operating between Shirley and Stratford-upon-Avon, calling at stations including Solihull. Passengers are being advised to allow considerable extra time for their journeys and to check the latest travel updates before setting out.
Ongoing Situation and Advice
The root cause of the disruption is confirmed to be flooding directly on the railway infrastructure. Network Rail teams are understood to be on-site assessing the damage and working to pump water from the tracks. A spokesperson for West Midlands Railway advised: "We are working closely with Network Rail to resolve the situation as quickly as possible. We thank passengers for their patience and urge them to check our website or app for real-time journey information." Further updates are expected throughout the day.
