Birmingham rail services disrupted as trespasser blocks line

Tickets were being accepted with National Express West Midlands buses, West Midlands Railway said

Andrew Dawkins

BBC News, West Midlands

Rail services in and out of Birmingham New Street were disrupted after police were called to deal with a trespasser on the line.

There were major delays as far afield as Shrewsbury and Hereford, on West Midlands Railway (WMR) services and Avanti West Coast trains are also affected.

British Transport Police (BTP) said its officers had been called "to a person in a precarious position", and at about 07:15 BST had "brought the vulnerable person to safety".

National Rail had said services would be subject to cancellation or delays of up to an hour, but at about 13:00 it confirmed trains had returned to normal.

Image source, BBC/Maisie Olah

Rail services were disrupted from about 07:00 BST after a "vulnerable person" was reported on the line

In a statement, BTP said: "Officers attended [the station], alongside paramedics. A man has now been taken to a place of safety."

Problems were reported on services to Coventry via Birmingham International, Cross City, Hereford via Worcester, Shrewsbury via Telford, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

Tickets were being accepted with National Express West Midlands buses on all routes, WMR said.

It said tickets were also being accepted on West Midlands Metro and Cross Country Trains.