Overhead cable failure results in travel chaos on East Coast rail line

RAIL passengers faced train delays and cancellations yesterday after an overhead power line failure hit London-bound trains on the East Coast Main Line.

Services in both directions between Grantham, Lincolnshire, and Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, ground to a halt after the technical glitch affected four power lines at around 10:20am, causing major delays for travellers on the line, which runs between Aberdeen and London's Kings Cross.

A spokeswoman for train operator East Coast said delays were estimated at around two hours and advised against travel that was not "absolutely necessary".

The delays caused Bank Holiday misery for hundreds of passengers heading south, including football fans on their way to last night's Champions League clash between Barcelona and Manchester United at Wembley.

The East Coast spokeswoman said: "There has been an overhead line failure around the Grantham area. Four lines are down, which means no trains are running between Grantham and Peterborough. Southbound services from Peterborough are fine. There is no current estimate for when a normal service will resume. We are advising customers not to travel unless absolutely necessary."

A Network Rail spokesman said the delays were caused by damaged overhead power lines. He said: "Approximately 200m of overhead equipment is damaged, affecting all four lines. Passengers are being advised not to travel, to expect major disruption on the East Coast Main Line for the rest of the day, and to seek other routes for their journeys wherever possible."