Major Rail Disruption Hits Birmingham Commuters
A significant signalling fault has brought a key Birmingham commuter route to a standstill, causing major disruption during the Tuesday evening rush hour.
The Cross City Line south was fully suspended from lunchtime on Tuesday, November 11, 2025. The suspension affects all services running from Birmingham New Street Station to Bromsgrove, Redditch, and Hereford.
Service Suspension and Passenger Advice
West Midlands Railway announced the suspension on social media platform X shortly before 1pm, confirming that the issue was a signalling fault.
The train company stated that rail replacement transport was being organised and that ticket acceptance was arranged on alternative services. On its website, the firm pinpointed the problem near University station.
Engineers were dispatched to the site, but the issue was not expected to be resolved until 20:00. A return to normal service was anticipated by 21:00.
Alternative Travel Arrangements
In response to the suspension, a series of alternative travel options were put in place for stranded passengers.
Network Rail confirmed that rail replacement buses were operating between Longbridge and Bromsgrove/Redditch.
Furthermore, rail tickets were being accepted on a wide range of National Express West Midlands bus services to help passengers complete their journeys. The accepted bus routes are:
- 11A, 11C, 18, 23, 24, 45, 47, 48, 49
- 61, 63, 80, X20, X21, X22
The disruption caused significant inconvenience for evening commuters, with many facing extended journey times during a busy travel period.
