It’s likely Avanti West Coast services between Edinburgh, Crewe, Wolverhampton and London Euston will be affected for some time following the fallen tree at Penkridge, Staffordshire
Passengers were scrambled off a train and onto tracks after it hit a fallen tree tonight.
Services have been cancelled and delayed following the disruption, which happened at Penkridge, Staffordshire, at around 8.30pm. Photographs sent exclusively to the Mirror show rail staff around the doomed train and passengers walking along the track.
One passenger, who had caught the London Northwestern Railway train at Birmingham New Street after working in the city, said: “We were stuck on board for some time. Then we got off the train and we had to walk down the track. It was ridiculous.”
It is understood this practice is standard in these rare situations. Delays are, though, likely to continue into Wednesday morning. The National Rail website had said: “A tree on the railway in the Wolverhampton area means that lines between Shrewsbury, Stafford and Wolverhampton are blocked.
“As a result, trains running through these stations may be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes, revised or diverted. Major disruption is expected until the end of the day.”
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It is believed passengers on the train which hit the tree were eventually ushered along the track, onto a road at Penkridge and put onto a rail replacement bus service. At the time of writing, rail replacement transport is in operation between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton, and also between Crewe and Wolverhampton in both directions. Your ticket can be used on these services at no extra cost.
But it impacts services to and from hubs in wider regions, including London. London Northwestern Railway services between Liverpool Lime Street, Crewe, Shrewsbury, Wolverhampton and Birmingham New Street are either cancelled or delayed. Avanti West Coast services between Edinburgh, Crewe, Wolverhampton and London Euston remain affected.
And West Midlands Railway between Wolverhampton, Rugeley Trent Valley and Walsall face delays, likely to spill into Wednesday’s schedule. Avanti West Coast says its customers can use one of the two Avanti West Coast services immediately before their booked train, or one of the two immediately after – if the original is scrapped.
If they no longer wish to travel because their train is delayed or cancelled, they can request a full refund from where they bought your ticket.
CrossCounty also has advice online for customers, including those hoping to reach Manchester Piccadilly, Birmingham New Street, Reading, Southampton Central or Bournemouth. London Northwestern Railway says passengers can use Avanti West Coast services between Birmingham New Street and London Euston in both directions as an alternative if it applicable.
The Mirror has tonight contacted London Northwestern Railway about the experience its passengers had on the train which hit the fallen tree.
