Truck smashes through level crossing barrier, causing rail delays in Midlands

Truck continues across lines after hitting barrier at high speed

Thousands of rail passengers in the Midlands are experiencing long delays after a truck crashed through a level crossing barrier.

CCTV footage shows the barriers at a level crossing in Hartlebury, southwest of Birmingham, lowering in advance of a train approaching.

A large white truck drives across at high speed, hitting one barrier with such force that it is torn from its mounting and ends up blocking one of the tracks.

The truck continues along the road without slowing down.

No pedestrians are present, and the approaching train stopped short of the crossing.

Network Rail for the Chiltern Main Line tweeted: “Trains between Kidderminster and Stourport are affected.

“Our engineers are on site assessing the damage.”

National Rail said: “This incident has caused major disruption.

“Staff are currently on site working to reattach the broken barrier.

“Trains must run at a reduced speed until this has been completed.”

Problems have been exacerbated by a signal failure between Moor Street and Snow Hill stations in Birmingham city centre.

Services are being cancelled or delayed by more than an hour. One traveller, Jessy Kaur, tweeted: “Stuck on the train and have been for almost two hours.”

Passengers can use other train operators via reasonable routes, and a number of National Express bus services.

Disruption is likely to continue until the end of the day.