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Thousands suffer rail disruption Thousands suffer rail disruption
(about 1 hour later)
Rail passengers are facing long delays after power lines came down halting all trains in to and out of London Euston. Rail passengers have suffered a sixth successive day of disruption on a major line after a power failure halted all services to London Euston.
London Midland and Virgin services to and from Euston were suspended after cables struck a train in north-west London as it was passing through. Every train in and out of the station was suspended after cables struck a train on Tuesday.
Travel to the West Midlands and North West is affected, as are regular commuter lines in and out of London. All routes remain affected, but limited services have now resumed.
Network Rail said lines had now reopened and Virgin Trains had begun running a reduced service. It was the fourth incident in a week to disrupt the West Coast Main Line, which has led to 70% of all Virgin services running late since new year.
I heard a bang above my head and the carriage shook - there was a bright flash and I just screamed Samantha Broome, rail traveller Lines have now reopened, but both Virgin and London Midland are currently running reduced services. I heard a bang above my head and the carriage shook - there was a bright flash and I just screamed Samantha Broome, rail traveller
Two trains per hour are running from Euston to Birmingham and Manchester and one an hour to Chester, Liverpool and Glasgow. A spokesman for Virgin Trains said the company hoped to run at least four services an hour on Wednesday afternoon from Euston to Manchester, Liverpool, the West Midlands and Glasgow.
By mid-afternoon more frequent services should be running.
London Midland has also begun operating a reduced service.
A Network Rail spokesman said a string of problems on the West Coast Main Line in recent days were being investigated.A Network Rail spokesman said a string of problems on the West Coast Main Line in recent days were being investigated.
He said they appeared to have been unrelated and were due to "unfortunate coincidences".He said they appeared to have been unrelated and were due to "unfortunate coincidences".
The latest affected stretch of line was between North Wembley and Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, following the incident at Kenton on Tuesday evening.The latest affected stretch of line was between North Wembley and Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, following the incident at Kenton on Tuesday evening.
BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds said Virgin Trains had described the situation as a "mess". Arthur Leathley, director of communications for Virgin Trains, said: "Clearly we'd like this to be resolved, it's hugely frustrating for our customers and indeed for ourselves, we want a full service running as quickly as possible.
MAP OF AFFECTED ROUTES Latest National Rail map of route disruption [168KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here "We recognise that things do happen, it's a very busy railway, but to have a number of high profile, highly disruptive incidents such as this in the last few days does suggest there is something wider going on." MAP OF AFFECTED ROUTES Latest National Rail map of route disruption [168KB] Most computers will open this document automatically, but you may need Adobe Reader Download the reader here
The train firm told him problems on the west coast line meant 70% of trains had been running late since the start of the new year. The train firm told BBC transport correspondent Tom Symonds that problems on the west coast line meant 70% of trains had been running late since the start of the new year.
Samantha Broome, 22, of Far Forest, Worcestershire, was on the 2023 GMT train from Euston hit by the cables on Tuesday. Samantha Broome, 22, of Far Forest, Worcestershire, was on the 2023 GMT train from Euston hit by the cables.
She said: "I heard a bang above my head and the carriage shook. There was a bright flash and I just screamed.She said: "I heard a bang above my head and the carriage shook. There was a bright flash and I just screamed.
"We sat on the train for over two-and-a-half hours, guards were running up and down trying to work out what had happened. We were given survival blankets because it was cold.""We sat on the train for over two-and-a-half hours, guards were running up and down trying to work out what had happened. We were given survival blankets because it was cold."
Toby Corballis, 43, from Highgate, north London, travelled to Manchester on business earlier. He was forced to take a service from St Pancras to Sheffield and change there.Toby Corballis, 43, from Highgate, north London, travelled to Manchester on business earlier. He was forced to take a service from St Pancras to Sheffield and change there.
He criticised Virgin Trains for not providing enough information at Euston. The software company chief executive criticised Virgin for not providing enough information at Euston.
Mr Corballis, chief executive of a software company, said Virgin had wrongly told him East Midlands Trains would accept his ticket, which cost £91, on its 0637 GMT service.
'Lost money'
"I thought here we go again, because Virgin are appalling when it comes to information," he said.
Allan Gardner, of Sandwell, West Midlands, travels to and from Euston every weekday and said the recent delays had been "pretty bad". He cancelled his journey earlier.Allan Gardner, of Sandwell, West Midlands, travels to and from Euston every weekday and said the recent delays had been "pretty bad". He cancelled his journey earlier.
The 58-year-old business consultant, who pays £310 a week for season tickets, said: "I'm trying to keep myself in a job. I've lost a day's fees."The 58-year-old business consultant, who pays £310 a week for season tickets, said: "I'm trying to keep myself in a job. I've lost a day's fees."
The latest power failure comes after travellers were disrupted on Monday as engineers worked through the night to repair damaged power lines which had stopped trains running on the West Coast Main Line.
And on Saturday the line was closed after a plane crashed near the tracks in Little Haywood, near Stafford, at 1200 GMT on Friday.
The crash claimed three lives and left thousands of rail passengers stranded as services were brought to a halt.
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A stranded Virgin train on the West Coast Main Line north of LondonA stranded Virgin train on the West Coast Main Line north of London
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said: "Natural events do occur, but Network Rail needs to build more resilience into the network. The latest power failure followed problems on Tuesday at Rugby, Warwickshire, and Bletchley, Buckinghamshire.
"It seems that if there's a light dusting of snow within 40 miles of a rail line something will go wrong. Before that travellers were disrupted on Sunday and Monday as engineers worked at Watford Junction to repair damaged power lines.
"I have travelled from Stockholm to the Arctic Circle on a train that arrived five minutes early, yet Britain lapses into chaos at the first hint of snow." And on Saturday the line was closed after a fatal plane crash near the tracks in Staffordshire.
Liberal Democrat transport spokesman Norman Baker said: "Natural events do occur, but Network Rail needs to build more resilience into the network."
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Are you affected by the problems on the train routes this morning? Are you struggling to get into work? Tell us about your experience.
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