A major route to London Euston is facing severe travel disruption after a railway bridge collapsed following a lorry crash. Passengers on Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, and some Lumo services are bracing for cancellations and delays after the incident on Wednesday evening.
Bridge Collapse Details
A chunk of a railway bridge came crashing down between Nuneaton and Rugby on the West Coast Main Line after a tall lorry collided with the structure. The tracks on the UK's busiest railway line are now blocked, forcing trains to divert via Birmingham.
National Rail has warned that many services will be cancelled or delayed by up to 60 minutes. The disruption is expected to last at least until 5pm on Friday, potentially causing difficult journeys for those heading off for the weekend. However, the route could take longer to reopen, and no definite timeline has been provided.
Affected Routes
- Avanti West Coast – between Glasgow Central / Blackpool North / Preston / Holyhead / Wrexham General / Chester / Liverpool Lime Street / Manchester Piccadilly / Crewe / Wolverhampton and London Euston
- London Northwestern Railway – between Crewe and Rugby / Northampton / London Euston
- Lumo – between Stirling and London Euston
Response and Advice
Network Rail engineers are at the site inspecting the damage. Martin Ball, Network Rail's infrastructure director, said: 'This collision has caused significant damage to the bridge and our teams are working hard to understand the extent. There will be ongoing disruption to train services through this area while we assess the bridge. We are working closely with our partners to keep passengers on the move wherever possible but anyone travelling should check on train operator websites or the National Rail Enquiries for the latest information.'
Network Rail issued a scathing reminder to drivers, urging them to know the height of their vehicles and loads and plan routes accordingly 'so that infrastructure isn't put at risk in this way.'
National Rail advised: 'Please check before you travel as services along this route may start or terminate from either side of Nuneaton or Rugby, or will not run the full journey. Where possible, trains will divert via Birmingham.'
