Rail Services Hit After Wagon Derails Near Wolverhampton

A freight train derailment in Oxley is set to disrupt rail services through Wolverhampton for at least another day, with passengers facing ongoing delays and cancellations.

The incident occurred at around 8.30pm on Tuesday 5 May, when a single wagon left the tracks at low speed. While the wagon remained upright and no injuries were reported, the derailment caused notable damage to both the track and overhead power lines. No other trains were involved.

Repair work is expected to continue throughout Wednesday 6 May and is likely to extend into Thursday 7 May due to the complexity of rerailing the wagon and fixing the infrastructure. Passengers have been advised to check before travelling until services return to normal.

As a result of the disruption, trains are currently unable to operate between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury. West Midlands Railway is running a limited shuttle service between Shrewsbury and Telford, while Transport for Wales services are curtailed, with journeys beginning and ending at Shrewsbury instead of running through to Birmingham Airport. Replacement buses organised by TfW are operating between Shrewsbury and Wolverhampton.

The line between Wolverhampton and Stafford remains open, although some alterations to services may still occur.

Adam Checkley, from Network Rail, said:

"This was a low-speed derailment involving one wagon of a freight train, but it has still caused significant disruption to passengers and extensive damage to the track and overhead power lines. Our priority is to assess the damage, make repairs as quickly and safely as possible, and reopen the railway as soon as we can. I want to thank everyone for their patience while we do this and would urge anyone planning to travel through Wolverhampton, and especially to or from Shrewsbury, to check before they travel for the latest information."

Image: Network Rail