Shropshire rail delays after metal thieves take signal cable

Rail passengers faced disruption today after metal thieves stole cable, used to power signals, from the line between Church Stretton and Shrewsbury.

The cable was stolen overnight.

All trains running into Shrewsbury faced delays.

The worst affected services were those running between Hereford and Shrewsbury as trains had to run at reduced speeds.

Buses were drafted in to replace some services between Hereford and Shrewsbury, with journey times extended by up to 40 minutes.

A statement from National Rail said: "Between Church Stretton and Shrewsbury we have no signals due to cable theft, so delays are expected in this area, we should have signals working at approximately midday."

Disruption was also caused after a train broke down between Crewe and Shrewsbury today. Services on trains between Crewe, Holyhead, Cardiff and Shrewsbury and were altered because of the incident.

Passengers were advised to check either the National Rail or Arriva Trains Wales website.