WEST Midlands Railway has warned passengers of continued disruption today after the line between Birmingham, Redditch and Bromsgrove was damaged in Storm Darragh.
Birmingham’s Cross City Line South which runs from Litchfield via Birmingham to Redditch and Bromsgrove will remain closed today, December 9, after multiple fallen trees caused “significant” damage to the line on Saturday, December 7.
The train operator said engineers from Network Rail are working at multiple locations on the route to repair damaged overhead wires however, the line is expected to remain closed for much of Monday to enable the repairs to be carried out safely.
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for West Midlands Railway, said: “The high winds during Storm Darragh have caused significant disruption across our network, with dozens of trees falling onto tracks or overhead power lines.
“Some of our train fleet has also sustained damage from trees and branches.
This weekend services have been significantly disrupted due to #StormDarragh
— West Midlands Railway (@WestMidRailway) December 8, 2024
🌳 Dozens of trees have blown down on or near the railway, causing significant delays
🚆 Several of our trains have suffered significant damage from striking branches and will require ongoing repairs pic.twitter.com/qhvwuMskIV
“I would like to thank our customers for their patience while the Cross City Line remains closed.
“Rail replacement transport will be in operation until the railway is ready to reopen, with ticket acceptance on local buses.”
Denise Wetton, Network Rail's Central route director, said: "This weekend, Storm Darragh wreaked havoc on the railway.
“We've had teams working round the clock right across the West Midlands removing debris and trees many of which were third party that caused obstructions to services.
"We are sorry for the disruption caused to passengers on the Cross City Line while the clean-up and repairs continue, and we ask that they check with their train operator for the latest travel information.”
Although the Cross City Line South remains closed, the Cross City Line North reopened at 8am.
People are being urged to check before they travel on all West Midlands Railway routes as the clean-up effort following the weekend’s weather causes further disruption.
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