Trains halted by lightning

Chaos erupted on railways in the West Midlands today after a lightning strike hit a signal box near Wolverhampton as thunderstorms battered the region.

Arriva and Central Train services between Shrewsbury and Birmingham were cancelled and others faced delays after lightning struck Bushbury junction, north of the city, just before 7.20am.

Hundreds of passengers were left waiting on platforms, while packed trains were left stranded on the lines as engineers battled to fix the problem.

Roads in Wolverhampton were also flooded when an inch of rain fell over several hours this morning.

Network Rail spokesman Ben Herbert said: “The lightning strike affected the points. While trains were still running, the points had to be operated manually which led to delays.”

Mr Herbert said the problems were rectified by 1.30pm, although delays were expected throughout the day.

Torrential rain brought flooding across the region throughout the morning. The heavens opened shortly before 7.30am and several roads became treacherous.

Commuters travelling into Wolverhampton found high water levels in Compton Road and Tettenhall Road with the area near Wolverhamton Grammar School particularly affected.

Flooding occurred in several areas, in particular on the northern route into the city at Jack Hayward Way and in Park Avenue, West Park and Burland Avenue in Aldersley.

In addition, branches were left scattered across Dunstall Road after the tree fell at 11.50am. Sheila Davy, from Dunstall Park Garages, said she heard the crashing and banging and raced outside. She said: “A car had just left and missed it by feet.”

Drivers on the M6 and M54 also suffered delays.

By Nick Pritchard and Steve Wright