Railway passengers travelling between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury have been left outraged after being disrupted once again, due to a landslip between the Wellington and Oakengates Train Stations. 

 

Services were disrupted during mid-morning on Friday the 8th March as reports of a landslip spread round passengers at the stations. Network Rail urged passengers to ‘check before travelling’ as ‘Approximately 5,000 tonnes of material has slipped beneath a 50 metre section of the railway after persistent heavy rainfall over the winter months has weakened the earthwork beneath it.’.  

The closure of the line could take anywhere between 2-4 weeks, as engineers have been working ‘round the clock’ to repair the tracks and ensure the earth beneath it becomes stronger. This comes after the lines were due for repairs over the weekend, however due to the significant safety concerns of the landslip, lines will not re-open for the foreseeable. 

Rail Replacement buses were arranged for passengers between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury, but there is no doubt commuters will be delayed over the coming weeks. One regular passenger on the service said ‘The trains between Shrewsbury and Birmingham are usually laughable anyway, whether that be from delays, cancellations or generally being too full-up. I don’t know how the sheer amount of passengers will fit onto the one bus, i think the train companies need to add more replacement buses to compensate for us.’. 

Network Rail spokesperson, Adam Checkley (infrastructure director) stated ‘I’m really sorry to passengers affected by the landslip near Oakengates station which means the line is likely to remain shut for at least two weeks while we plan and deliver complex repairs to the failed railway embankment.’.  

Passengers between the stations will have to arrange alternative travel, as many wonder, when will the tracks be open again? And how will the train companies compensate for the disruption? There is little hope for the coming weeks.