A herd of cows wandering onto one of the UK's busiest railway lines has caused severe disruption for thousands of train passengers, with delays and cancellations expected to last until 4pm.
Incident blocks West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line has been blocked in Staffordshire between Lichfield Trent Valley and Rugeley Trent Valley for more than three hours after the cows were reported on the tracks at 8.57am. Services affected include Avanti West Coast and Lumo trains between London Euston and Scotland, as well as London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway services.
According to Network Rail, there were difficulties contacting the farmer responsible for the animals. Passengers are being warned to expect disruption until 4pm.
Delays and cancellations
Trains running between Lichfield Trent Valley and Stafford or Stoke-on-Trent may be delayed by up to two hours, cancelled, diverted or revised. Some West Midlands Railway services between Birmingham International and Rugeley Trent Valley are not running between Hednesford and Rugeley Trent Valley.
To help passengers complete their journeys, tickets are being accepted on certain alternative routes, including selected Chiltern Railways, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway and Transport for Wales services. If passengers no longer wish to travel because their train is delayed or cancelled, they can request a full refund from where they bought their ticket.
Alternative travel options
London Northwestern Railway advises customers that they can use their ticket on the following services in both directions at no extra cost: CrossCountry between Nuneaton and Stoke-on-Trent via Birmingham New Street; Avanti West Coast between London Euston and Crewe; and Chiltern Railways between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street.
