Passengers travelling from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, to London today will face fewer train options and significant delays due to damage to the overhead line equipment (OLE). On 6 February 2026, a failure of the overhead lines between London Euston and Watford Junction (at Kensal Green) caused a major disruption that is expected to last for the remainder of the day.
The incident has forced Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway to run a reduced timetable, with only around 50–60% of scheduled services operating from Wolverhampton to London. Some reports say journey times are being extended by up to 90 minutes because of congestion and speed restrictions on the remaining lines.
The incident was first reported at 03:42 on Friday 6 February 2026, when damage to the equipment that supplies power to electric trains was identified in the Kensal Green area. Network Rail engineers are carrying out repair work; National Rail and the operators say the reduced timetable will remain in place until the end of service this evening to allow safe access for repairs (see National Rail status updates).
IanVisits is advising passengers to check their journeys online before travelling. Passengers may be able to use their tickets on alternative routes where ticket acceptance is in place; for example, some travellers may be able to reroute via Chiltern Railways between Birmingham Snow Hill and London Marylebone or use London Northwestern/Avanti accepted routes, depending on their ticket and journey.
The disruption comes as Avanti West Coast continues to face scrutiny from regulators over the reliability of its long-distance services; the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has been reported to be reviewing recent decisions affecting Avanti. The Friday timing of the incident adds to the impact, disrupting end-of-week business travel and early weekend journeys.
Check National Rail Enquiries and operator updates (Avanti West Coast, London Northwestern Railway, Network Rail) for the latest information and ticket acceptance guidance.
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