NETWORK Rail has fully reopened the West Coast mainline after completing major repairs to stabilise an embankment between Coventry and Rugby.
Storms and heavy rain caused a landslip on the West Coast mainline on Sunday, February, 11, causing the line to be closed.
The railway between Birmingham and London Euston reopened this afternoon after over 800 tonnes of soil was transported away from the site.
James Dean, route director for Network Rail, said: “I’m sorry to passengers who’ve been affected by the closure of the West Coast main line while we completed emergency repairs to the landslip between Coventry and Rugby.
“I’m pleased to advise that we’ve reopened both tracks this afternoon – with a reduced speed limit – which means passenger and freight trains can run again.
“I want to thank passengers for their patience and ask those travelling to check the website for the latest journey information.”
Network rail have said that there will be close monitoring and work is being planned to further stabilise the embankment.
Dave Whitehouse, Safety and Security Director at Avanti West Coast, said: “Although the emergency engineering work is now completed, trains will still be disrupted between London and Birmingham for the remainder of the day whilst we work to resume services fully for tomorrow.”
Passengers should check nationalrail.co.uk for the latest advice.
