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Passengers face more rail misery | Passengers face more rail misery |
(about 6 hours later) | |
Rail travellers are facing a third day of delays and disruption, as engineering work continues to overrun on the West Coast Mainline. | Rail travellers are facing a third day of delays and disruption, as engineering work continues to overrun on the West Coast Mainline. |
Scotland to London rail services were due to return to normal on Tuesday. | |
Meanwhile, London's Liverpool Street Station has now reopened after work on a bridge there also overran. | |
Works at Rugby have shut the line between Birmingham International and Northampton, prompting Virgin to advise passengers not to use its trains. | |
An inquiry has begun into Network Rail's handling of the maintenance. | An inquiry has begun into Network Rail's handling of the maintenance. |
Meanwhile, Virgin has announced that saver fares will be available on all trains, including peak services, next Monday and Tuesday to enable customers to travel for less at short notice. | Meanwhile, Virgin has announced that saver fares will be available on all trains, including peak services, next Monday and Tuesday to enable customers to travel for less at short notice. |
This has been a fiasco and our customers expect and deserve better Chris Gibb, Virgin Trains Counting the cost of travel | |
It also said passengers could claim compensation if their journeys had been affected. | It also said passengers could claim compensation if their journeys had been affected. |
Full services between the capital and East Anglia are not expected to be restored until some time later in the morning. | Full services between the capital and East Anglia are not expected to be restored until some time later in the morning. |
Network Rail has apologised and says it is working "flat out" to restore normal services on the West Coast Mainline. | Network Rail has apologised and says it is working "flat out" to restore normal services on the West Coast Mainline. |
In the meantime, replacement bus services are operating between Birmingham, Coventry and Northampton, but they are adding up to two hours to journey times. | In the meantime, replacement bus services are operating between Birmingham, Coventry and Northampton, but they are adding up to two hours to journey times. |
HAVE YOUR SAY This is what happens when you allow essential services, such as public transport, to fall into the clutches of profit-making companies Jeff Minton Send us your comments | |
Chris Gibb, managing director of Virgin Trains, told the BBC that Network Rail said the line around Rugby station would not reopen until 0500 GMT on Friday. | Chris Gibb, managing director of Virgin Trains, told the BBC that Network Rail said the line around Rugby station would not reopen until 0500 GMT on Friday. |
Network Rail said it could not confirm when full services would be restored. | Network Rail said it could not confirm when full services would be restored. |
It has blamed a shortage of specialist engineering staff for the delays. | It has blamed a shortage of specialist engineering staff for the delays. |
Virgin Trains chief executive Tony Collins said: "This has been a fiasco and our customers expect and deserve better." | Virgin Trains chief executive Tony Collins said: "This has been a fiasco and our customers expect and deserve better." |
The widespread disruption has coincided with above-inflation fare rises of up to 11%. | The widespread disruption has coincided with above-inflation fare rises of up to 11%. |
Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said passengers had been "on the end of a real double whammy". | Shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said passengers had been "on the end of a real double whammy". |
The inquiry into the delays is being carried out by the Office of Rail Regulation which could order Network Rail be fined. | The inquiry into the delays is being carried out by the Office of Rail Regulation which could order Network Rail be fined. |
Last year, it fined the company £2.4m for the late delivery of signalling work around Portsmouth in 2006. | Last year, it fined the company £2.4m for the late delivery of signalling work around Portsmouth in 2006. |
Passengers to and from London are being urged to use alternative routes as follows:
| Passengers to and from London are being urged to use alternative routes as follows:
|
Have you been affected by these delays? Are you having to find alternative ways to get to work? Tell us your thoughts. | Have you been affected by these delays? Are you having to find alternative ways to get to work? Tell us your thoughts. |