Rail disruption continues amid embankment repairs

Railway passengers in the West Midlands have been warned of continuing disruption as repairs are made to a damaged embankment.

Train timetables remained "heavily amended" in Worcestershire, Herefordshire and Birmingham on Tuesday after the landslip between Droitwich Spa and Worcester Foregate Street.

No direct trains were running between the two stations but the line between Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street to Droitwich Spa was open with an amended service in place, Network Rail said.

West Midlands Railway said services from Hereford to Birmingham on Tuesday would only run between Hereford and Worcester Foregate Street.

The landslip damaged a railway cutting on Thursday afternoon, Network Rail said, and engineering teams put a "short-term solution" in place to allow trains to continue running.

But the retaining wall collapsed further on Saturday afternoon, which caused concerns about earthworks above.

Network Rail said teams were working to re-open the railway as soon as possible, with services expected to resume in the coming days.

West Midlands Railway said disruption may also include Birmingham Snow Hill line services terminating at Worcester Shrub Hill instead of Foregate Street, adding that rail replacement buses would run between Worcester, Droitwich Spa and Bromsgrove.

Adam Checkley of Network Rail said: "We would like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this complex and essential work to make the railway safe.

"Our teams are working around the clock to stabilise the cutting and get people back on the move as quickly as possible."

As part of the repair work, more than 1,200 tonnes of soil was being excavated and more than 240 blocks were being installed to protect the railway along the 125m stretch of track.

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