Trains
are
set
to
start
running
again


on
part
of
the
line
between
Wolverhampton
and
Shrewsbury,
which
has
been
blocked
since
8
March
by
a
landslip
near
Oakengates.

Network
Rail
said
more
than
5,000
tonnes
of
material
had
slipped
beneath
a
50-metre
section
of
the
railway
after
persistent
heavy
rain
over
the
winter
months
weakened
the
earthwork.

It
added
that
engineers
have
been
‘working
around
the
clock’
since
last
week
to
clear
the
site
to
allow
access
for
the
materials
and
equipment
needed
to
repair
the
embankment.

Althougn
no
passenger
trains
have
run
on
the
route
over
the
past
week,
West
Midlands
Railway
is
hoping
to
restore
a
limited
service
from
Wolverhampton
on
Monday,
which
would
serve
the
stations
east
of
the
landslip.
This
would
run
every
two
hours
from
Wolverhampton
as
far
as
Shifnal,
calling
at
Bilbrook,
Codsall,
Albrighton
and
Cosford.

WMR
pointed
out
that
the
complexity
of
designing
timetables
and
the
fact
that
the
relevant
traincrew
depot
is
in
Shrewsbury
while
the
rolling
stock
depot
is
in
Birmingham
makes
an
emergency
service
difficult
to
arrange,
but
that
it
is
’working
hard’
to
serve
the
eastern
part
of
the
line
soon.

Avanti
West
Coast
trains
from
London
to
Shrewsbury
will
continue
to
terminate
at
Wolverhampton
for
the
time
being,
although
in
any
case
these
services
are
being
withdrawn
from
the
start
of
the
summer
timetable
in
June.
Transport
for
Wales
trains
will
not
be
able
to
serve
stations
east
of
Shrewsbury
until
the
line
is
fully
reopen
again,
and
rail
replacement
buses
are
running.

Network
Rail
infrastructure
director
Adam
Checkley
apologised
to
passengers
and
described
the
scale
of
repairs
as
‘challenging’,
involving
over
12,000
tonnes
of
material.

He
continued:
‘We’re
currently
aiming
to
fully
reopen
the
line
by
Easter.’