Overview
- A herd of animals reported as cows wandered onto tracks between Lichfield Trent Valley and Rugeley Trent Valley, physically blocking lines and stopping services on the West Coast Main Line.
- Multiple operators including Avanti West Coast, Lumo, London Northwestern and West Midlands Railway reported delays, cancellations and some services being diverted via Birmingham New Street.
- Rail companies have told passengers they can use tickets on alternate routes or request full refunds and have published specific guidance on which operators and trains are accepted.
- Officials gave differing estimates for when the lines would reopen and said crews must remove the animals and inspect the track before services can resume, while reports said contact with the farmer responsible was difficult.
- The West Coast Main Line is a major intercity corridor so the blockage has produced widespread knock-on effects across long-distance and regional timetables and could keep disruption running into the afternoon.