Passengers in Worcestershire and the West Midlands are being advised to check before they travel following a landslip that caused a retaining wall to collapse onto the railway near Worcester.
The landslip damaged a railway cutting between Droitwich Spa and Worcester Foregate Street on Thursday afternoon. Engineering teams from Network Rail quickly put in place a short-term solution to allow trains to continue running.
However, the retaining wall collapsed further on Saturday afternoon, causing concern about the earthworks above. As a result, more than 1,200 tonnes of soil is being excavated and over 240 concrete blocks are being installed to protect the railway along a 125-metre stretch of track.
This work, being carried out by Network Rail and contractors QTS, began on Friday and will continue until the cutting is stabilised. No services can currently operate on the line between Worcester Foregate Street and Droitwich Spa.
The line between Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Foregate Street/Droitwich Spa remains open, however an amended service is in place. Teams are working to reopen the railway as soon as possible, with services expected to resume in the coming days.
Adam Checkley, infrastructure director for Network Rail Central route, said: “We would like to thank passengers for their patience while we carry out this complex and essential work to make the railway safe.
“Our teams are working around the clock to stabilise the cutting and get people back on the move as quickly as possible.”