Tens of thousands of train passengers are experiencing significant disruption as repair work is underway following a landslip on one of the UK’s busiest rail routes.
The landslip, which occurred between Coventry and Rugby, has blocked a section of the West Coast Main Line connecting London Euston and Birmingham New Street, according to Network Rail.
Services operated by Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway have been heavily impacted, with passengers facing lengthy delays and diversions.
Some travellers are encountering delays of several hours, with the need for long diversions and replacement buses between Coventry and Northampton.
Following the landslip incident on Sunday, Network Rail took the decision to close the affected line in both directions on Monday night to conduct essential repair work. The line is not expected to reopen until Tuesday afternoon.
Phil Barnes, operations director for Network Rail, stated, ”Network Rail engineers have been removing vegetation from the embankment to allow better assessment of the landslip near Rugby.
A plan is now in place to remove soil before checking the track to allow services to run,” Barnes added.
To do this safely, we are closing both lines overnight on Monday and Tuesday morning. We are working to reopen both lines on Tuesday afternoon.”
Expressing apologies for the disruption, Barnes emphasized, “Our team is working around the clock to get trains running again as soon as we can.
Jonny Wiseman, London Northwestern Railway customer experience director, thanked customers for their patience and advised travellers to check their journeys before setting out.
Dave Whitehouse, safety and security director at Avanti West Coast, noted the impact of the landslip on services between the West Midlands and London Euston, stating that operations would return to normal once Network Rail completes the emergency repairs.
This incident follows last month’s closure of the Chiltern Main Line between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street/Oxford due to a landslip near Bicester, Oxfordshire, causing significant disruption to rail services.
