'Sinkhole' causes rail chaos (From Evesham Journal)

'Sinkhole' causes rail chaos

9:29am Monday 25th June 2012 in News By Robert Hale

• UPDATE 2.30pm: Rail services have been restored after emergency repairs.

RAIL services between Ledbury, Malvern and Worcester have been halted after a hole appeared in the line at Colwall.

Services this morning were cancelled, leaving hundreds of travellers stranded or scrambling to make alternative arrangements.

According to the London Midland website: "Train services running through these stations may be cancelled or terminated at and started back from Worcester Shrub Hill at short notice.

All stations between Worcester Shrub Hill and Hereford will not be served.

"An estimate for the resumption of normal services will be provided as soon as the problem has been fully assessed."

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Update 10.30am: Network Rail spokesman Keith Lumley said: "The problem was reported at about 8am by the driver of the 7.34am service from Hereford to Birmingham.

"He reported a hole in the ballast about one-and-a-half feet deep. The train was moved away at walking pace at about 10am and our structural engineers are currently investigating."

Update 11am: Mr Lumley said: "We have now advised First Great Western and London Midland that there is likely to be no train service beween Hereford and Great Malvern for the rest of the day."

Update 11.15am: London Midland has resumed some services between Worcester and Great Malvern. Mr Lumley says the cause of the hole is not yet known, but it could be burrowing animals or subsidence due to heavy rain. He said: "What we do know is that there are no known drains or culverts that could account for the problem."

Update. 2.30pm: Mr Lumley said: "We brought in a mini-digger and discovered the hole had been created by water washing away the ballast. The source of the water has not yet been determined. However, we have made temporary repairs and as from 1.45 pm, the line was open again."

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