Disruption continues to plague rail passengers at London Euston for a second consecutive day after a train derailed near Milton Keynes.
The incident, which occurred on Thursday in the Bletchley area, has led to widespread cancellations and delays, leaving thousands of commuters and travellers scrambling for alternatives.
National Rail has confirmed that travel to major destinations, including Birmingham and Manchester, remains severely affected.
As of Friday afternoon, no fewer than 19 services between Euston and Birmingham New Street had been cancelled. Several others were facing significant delays.
Nine services bound for Manchester Piccadilly were also pulled from the schedule, with rail operators struggling to manage the backlog.
National Rail stated: “A train derailed in the Milton Keynes Central area yesterday, closing some lines and continuing to disrupt services today. Trains between London Euston and Milton Keynes Central may be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised. “Major disruption is expected to continue throughout the day.”
London Northwestern Railway reported the derailment as a “low-speed” incident. It occurred near Bletchley and, fortunately, involved no passengers. No injuries have been reported.
The affected stretch lies on the West Coast Main Line, a critical corridor linking London with the Midlands, the North, and Scotland.
The derailment has impacted operations from both London Northwestern Railway and Avanti West Coast, two key operators on this line.
Routes affected include:
- Avanti West Coast services to Birmingham New Street, Manchester Piccadilly, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton, Chester, Wrexham General, Crewe, Holyhead, Liverpool Lime Street, Preston, Blackpool North, Glasgow Central and Edinburgh.
- London Northwestern Railway services between Euston and Milton Keynes Central, Northampton, Birmingham New Street and Crewe.
To accommodate affected passengers, Avanti West Coast has relaxed ticket rules:
- Tickets can be used on London Northwestern Railway services between Rugby and Crewe, and Rugby and Liverpool Lime Street via Nuneaton or Birmingham New Street.
- Tickets are also valid between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent in both directions.
- If your Avanti train is cancelled, your ticket will be accepted on the two trains immediately before or after your original booking.
London Northwestern Railway customers can travel via alternative operators, including:
- Avanti West Coast (via any reasonable route)
- Chiltern Railways
- CrossCountry
- East Midlands Railway
- London Overground
Passengers are urged to check before travelling and allow extra time for their journeys as disruption is expected to linger. Stay tuned for further updates as engineers work to clear the affected lines and restore normal service.
