Major repairs start at fire-damaged railway line

A section of West Midlands railway is the subject of a major repair operation following "significant damage" suffered during the Stourbridge fire.

Nineteen properties across five streets were fully destroyed, while 18 homes were damaged by the blaze which started on Thursday.

West Midlands Fire Service said about 40 acres of land had been affected, which included the nearby railway line.

National Rail said its aim was to reopen the line between Stourbridge Junction and Hagley on Saturday 22 August after it had suffered major damage to its signalling, phone lines, and lineside fencing.

A spokesperson said repair work had already started on Monday but the scale of the damage meant teams would "take some time".

Denise Wetton, of GBR West Midlands, said she was grateful to customers for their patience and added that her "thoughts remain with those impacted by these devastating fires".

Discussing the repair work, she said: "We know how important this line is for local communities and are doing all we can to help Stourbridge residents and reopen the railway as soon as possible."

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