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Monday 25 Nov 2024

Major West Coast Main Line disruption in Northampton after River Nene bursts its banks

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Passengers travelling on the West Coast Main Line are being advised about major disruption to services between Milton Keynes and Rugby due to severe flooding on the railway following Storm Bert.

All trains are suspended through Northampton station this morning (Monday 25 November) after the River Nene burst its banks causing extensive flooding on the railway and in the local area.

Network Rail is working closely with its train operating partners London Northwestern Railway and Avanti West Coast to keep passengers moving on the West Coast Main Line, with trains being diverted away from Northampton.

Carole Bayliss, strategy director for Network Rail’s West Coast South route, said: “We’re very sorry to passengers disrupted by flooding in Northampton, which will mean major disruption on the West Coast Main Line today.

"While our teams monitor water levels and wait until it's safe to fully assess the extent of flood damage to the railway, we're urging passengers to check with National Rail Enquiries before travelling.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director at London Northwestern Railway, said: "The recent heavy rainfall and resultant standing water in the Northampton area is impacting all services through the station and also access to our nearby depot.

"We advise our customers to check their journeys before setting out as significant disruption is expected to continue throughout the day across our network."

The flooding is expected to cause significant disruption to rail journeys all day while engineers monitor water levels and assess damage to the tracks and signalling equipment. With local roads impacted in Northampton, no rail replacement buses are currently able to run.

Passengers are urged to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator.