Birmingham New Street station evacuated due to 'false fire alarm'

There is huge disruption at Birmingham New Street station after a "false fire alarm" has sounded, causing the station to be evacuated and all lines into the station blocked.

The fire alarms sounding at Birmingham New Street station means all lines are blocked.

All journeys running through the station, including Avanti West Coast, Cross Country, London Northwestern Railway, Transport for Wales and West Midlands Railway could be cancelled, delayed or diverted as a result.

Network Rail has tweeted, saying: "A false fire alarm has temporarily caused the evacuation of the station."A full safety check is being completed and the station will reopen shortly."There may be short-term disruption as a result."

The evacuation comes just a day ahead of the rail strikes, which are taking place on July 27 and 30.

Disruption is also likely the day after each strike due to the knock-on impact from reduced staffing and services.

People are asked to plan ahead and only travel if necessary.

Passengers can check the status of their journey by visiting National Rail, their train operating company’s website, or social media.