Network Rail Says Derailment Near Bilbrook Disrupts Rail Routes
A freight train derailment near Bilbrook in the Wolverhampton area at about 20:30 BST on Tuesday damaged track and overhead power lines, leaving no trains running between Wolverhampton, Stafford and Shrewsbury. Network Rail said the low-speed derailment still caused "significant disruption".
Adam Checkley, Network Rail's central route infrastructure director, said the damage and the work needed to remove the wagon mean disruption will most likely run into Thursday. He added: "I want to thank everyone for their patience while we do this and would urge anyone planning to travel through Wolverhampton, and especially to or from Shrewsbury, to check before they travel for the latest information."
Wolverhampton routes on Wednesday
The derailment involved a wagon in Oxley, Wolverhampton, and no other trains were involved. Nobody was injured. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is investigating how the train came off the tracks.
West Midlands Railway said the incident damaged the overhead electric wires and knocked over the supports that keep them in the air. The company said repairs may carry on until Thursday.
Services to Shrewsbury
Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway services were all affected on Wednesday. Transport for Wales said its trains could not operate either way between Birmingham International and Shrewsbury, and it had rail replacement services in operation between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury.
Rail replacement services were also running between Telford and Wolverhampton, with onward rail travel from Telford Central to Shrewsbury. A bus shuttle service was running between Birmingham and Wolverhampton via Darlaston and Willenhall.
Avanti West Coast Tickets
Avanti West Coast told customers that tickets were valid on one of its two services immediately before or after their booked trains. A spokesperson said passengers delayed by 15 minutes or more because of the incident can claim compensation through the Delay Repay scheme.
For passengers travelling through Wolverhampton, the immediate priority is to check before leaving and to use the replacement buses or ticket flexibility now in place while repairs continue.
