'Major disruption' at Stevenage Station likely to last until Saturday, Network Rail warns

Rail passengers are facing major disruption heading into the weekend after damage to overhead wires led to the closure of all lines through one of the country's busiest commuter stations.

In a statement, Network Rail said the damage to the cables at Stevenage, Hertfordshire, was "extensive" and would take approximately eight hours to fix.

Repair work has now been scheduled for Saturday evening and overnight into Sunday morning, meaning that disruption is now expected to last until the end of Saturday.

As a result, trains heading south towards London are likely to "cancelled or revised in peak times" - bad news for the thousands of people who regularly use the station to commute into the capital.

National Rail said that trains will be able to operate normally northbound towards Stevenage, but those heading in the opposite direction will still be affected due to congestion build-up.

Long distance trains will 'coast' through the station, meaning services won't stop there, a spokesperson added.

The damage comes after parts of south-east England were battered by strong winds and heavy rain on Wednesday evening, with the Met Office issuing a yellow weather warning.

That warning has now passed, with much calmer conditions expected on Friday and Saturday.

"A band of rain will clear by the start of Thursday and that will be followed by sunny spells and showers with low pressure never too far away from the UK," Met Office meteorologist Aidan McGivern said.

"Some cooler weather, along with some chilly nights, are likely as we move towards the weekend."

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