Cables by lines at Rugeley, south of Stafford, were set on fire deliberately overnight, it is believed.

The company's services on the West Coast Mainline to London, from Scotland, Manchester and Liverpool, had to be diverted via Birmingham.

It will be several days before services are back to normal.

Transport police are looking for links between similar arson attacks.

A spokesman for Network Rail said: "The fire is being treated as an appalling act of vandalism against the rail passengers of the Midlands and the British Transport Police are leading the investigation. "

In September, services in and out of Birmingham's Moor Street and Snow Hill stations were severely disrupted following an arson attack on signalling equipment in Small Heath.

Earlier that month, signalling equipment at Marston Green was set alight causing almost a week of disruption for trains running between Birmingham New Street, Coventry and London Euston.