The rail line between Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury has been closed since the 8th of March (Friday) due to the discovery of a landslip, causing chaos for commuters travelling in the area.

 

Coincidentally, engineering works had already been planning in this section of the railway system on the weekend (9th – 10th of March) with rail replacement already planned. The discovery of a landslip the day prior, however, disrupted many travel plans ahead of the weekend.

 

Some coaches were in operation on Friday to help travellers get to their destination, but this was not immediately offered to all passengers and some resorted to travelling via taxi, car or other methods to get to their destinations, a substantial hike in cost for many. Coach services have now fully kicked in to replace train services that have now been cancelled.

 

Commuters were also frustrated with the refund process, with some complaining that tickets were only partially or not refunded at all. An affected commuter who had to resort to spending over 70 pounds to return to Birmingham for the weekend via Uber complained that ‘I only got 4 pounds back from my 10-pound ticket because they hit me with a 6-pound admin fee, even though I never used it.’

 

According to a Network Rail statement, the railway is likely to remain closed until the 25th of March and travelers are advised to plan around this.