Major delays between Carlisle and London Euston after overhead cables ripped down
Network Rail says it expects delays to last for the rest of the day
Passengers on the West Coast Main Line are being warned of major delays after overhead cables - which power trains - came down outside London Euston station.
Network Rail engineers are working to fix the damage to the wires which got caught on a passing train at 8.50am this morning (Wednesday 7 December).
Teams have also been working to help passengers get off trains which had to be brought to a stop when the electric lines were forced to power down.
The damage means no trains can currently serve platforms 1-7 at the major London terminus.
Passengers are being advised to check before they travel with disruption expected for the whole of today.
James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “I’m sorry to passengers impacted by the overhead lines coming down outside Euston station and the major disruption to journeys this is causing.
“Our team of engineers is working hard to fix the wires and restore power so we can get a full service back up and running as soon as possible. But when wires are damaged like this it can mean a complex and lengthy repair. For that reason I’d urge people to check www.nationalrail.co.uk before they set off on their journey as unfortunately disruption is expected all day.”
A spokesperson for Avanti West Coast said: “We would like to thank our customers for their patience and understanding. Whilst we are attempting to run our full service for the remainder of the day, customers should expect some disruption. Anyone who chooses to delay their journey, can use their ticket to travel tomorrow.”