Service delay as train derails

Saturday 20th January 2007, 11:44AM GMT.

Rail passengers in Shrewsbury and Telford faced massive disruption this morning after a train derailment blocked a major route.

A goods train came off the track at Oxley depot, in Wolverhampton.

This blocked a number of trains in the depot, preventing them leaving to form early morning services.

The delays caused disruption on the main line between Shrewsbury and Telford and Wolverhampton and the West Midlands.Services between Shropshire and Birmingham New Street were suspended from 6am until 7.15am while the incident was dealt with.

Replacement bus services were set up between the destinations.

A spokesman for British Transport Police confirmed the delays had been caused by the derailment.

He said British Transport Police had not been called to the scene and nobody had been reported injured.

Today’s derailment comes after a tree on the line at Hookagate, near Shrewsbury, caused an Arriva Trains Wales train to come off the tracks about 2pm on Thursday.

Although some of the wheels of the Aberystwyth to Birmingham train came off the track yesterday, the train remained upright.

About 40 passengers who were on the service at the time were picked up by a coach.

View more: Shrewsbury news, Telford news.