'Drainage is not good enough': Calls for improvement after latest Wellington railway flood
The MP for Telford says he will continue to ask for improvements at a railway station after severe flooding blocked the line again.
Passengers travelling between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton had to catch rail replacement buses last week when heavy rain flooded the tracks around Wellington.
Normal service was resumed by Tuesday morning after it was feared there would be no trains until the end of Wednesday.
Passengers - and politicians - now believe something urgently needs to be done to prevent further flooding.
“The issue is that the drainage around Wellington station is not good enough and I think trains have been cancelled at least five times this year over a number of days due to flooding,” said Alan Lewis.
“Network Rail have not dealt with the issue, so hopefully they will take the matter seriously this time and come up with a permanent solution.”
Anthony Hook added: “Storm drains have never really been redeveloped over the last 15 years with the new builds and natural soakaway disturbed.
“Wellington Station is unfortunately in a dip and is lower than the town, which causes it to flood. The never happened 10 years ago, but the infrastructure underneath needs redevelopment.”
Telford MP Shaun Davies said he will be seeking answers from Network Rail.
“The flooding along this rail line significantly affects Telford and the wider Shropshire side, and disruption on daily commutes has a considerable impact on our local economy,” said Mr Davies.
“I have raised concerns about the line’s resilience and reliability, and I will continue to ask for improvements. This route is vital for so many people across Telford and across our county.”
A Network Rail spokesperson said: There are ongoing repairs being made to the railway between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury because of the flood damage. Whilst this work takes place, our priority is to keep the safe movement of freight and passengers with minimal disruption. It’s expected the work will continue for a few weeks whilst we also work with third parties to identify better ongoing water management solutions around the railway at Wellington."
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