Great Western Coffee Shop

Police form human barriers at Euston as flooding causes chaos on Midlands rail routes

Heavy rain knocks out services between Rugby and Milton Keynes, causing severe overcrowding at London terminus

British Transport police officers formed human barriers at Euston station as heavy flooding led to severe rail disruption and overcrowding at the London terminus.

Officers locked together in front of the main concourse to prevent passengers from gathering on the platforms, and told travellers they were trying to ensure safety. One told passengers that people had fallen from trains earlier and warned that people could be killed. He added that police were at the station due to a shortage of rail staff.

Hundreds of passengers gathered in the station, looking up at the information boards, which indicated that most trains were delayed. Overhead announcements informed passengers that ^heavy rain^ had caused flooding between Rugby and Milton Keynes, with trains subject to ^short notice cancellations and delays^.

One passenger, Lou Davies, who lives near Watford, said: ^There were quite a lot of police. They were standing in lines to stop people getting down the corridors that lead to some of the platforms. They said the trains had been delayed because of flooding and they were there to keep people safe. It was odd. There weren^t many train staff around. There were a lot of people waiting. Pretty much all the trains were delayed.^

The Environment Agency had issued 43 flood warnings across England and Wales as of 8.30pm on Wednesday following heavy rainfall, with the majority being for areas in the Midlands.

Train operator London Midland said the severe flooding in several areas had caused problems with signalling and electrical equipment, leaving it unable to run trains between Rugby and Milton Keynes.

Passengers were also advised by the train operator that bus replacement services were ^not an option^ due to the weather conditions in some parts of Northamptonshire.

Although London Midland resumed some services to and from Northampton, the firm said it expected disruption for the rest of the day between Rugby and London Euston.

A London Midland spokesman said: ^Unfortunately passengers can expect disruption for the rest of the day. Once the floodwater subsides we are still faced with trains and train crew out of place across the network. This may mean some trains could have fewer carriages than normal. The advice is please allow more time and check your journey before you travel.^

In addition to the problems on the trains, the rainfall caused problems on the roads in the Midlands.

The A43 between Towcester and Northampton was shut due to flooding while driving conditions on other roads were made difficult by standing water on the carriageway.

...apparently those British Transport Police officers had to form their barrier as there were so few railway staff around.  :o

One of the problems with the ever-increasing passenger numbers is that when the trains are 'on stop' for any reason, it takes less and less time for things to get critical.