An engineer inspecting flood-damaged railway equipment
An engineer inspecting flood-damaged railway equipment

PASSENGERS travelling on the West Coast Main Line are being warned that disruption could continue for the rest of the week.

Services have been hit on the route, which serves Lichfield Trent Valley, after Northampton station was left flooded by Storm Bert.

Some bus replacement services are in place for part of the stretch between Rugby and Milton Keynes, while other trains are being diverted via alternative lines.

Network Rail say engineers are working around the clock to repair railway equipment, but warn that disruption is likely to continue for the rest of the week as signalling systems and tracks are cleaned, repaired and tested so trains can run safely again.

Gary Walsh, director for Network Rail’s West Coast South route, said:

“We’re working as quickly as possible to repair the extensive damage caused by Storm Bert at Northampton station.

“Our priority is safety, so we’re carrying out rigorous checks and repairs on hundreds of pieces of signalling equipment to ensure everything works properly before reopening.

“Due to the complex nature of this work, we’re advising passengers that journeys through Northampton are likely to be disrupted for the rest of the week and we’re urging people to check before they travel with their train operator.

“We’re really sorry to everyone affected and will keep passengers informed about our ongoing repairs.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, added:

“I’d like to thank our passengers for their continued patience and understanding while we work with Network Rail to reintroduce train services to Northampton.

“A temporary timetable will remain in operation on Wednesday, so I urge customers to check their journeys before setting out and allow extra time as rail replacement transport will be in use on some parts of the network.”

Founder of Lichfield Live and editor of the site.

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