Cop26 travel: Trains from London to Glasgow delayed as line blocked by fallen tree

Cop26 has been hit by travel chaos on its opening day as train lines between London Euston and Glasgow suffered major delays amid inclement weather.

Avanti’s west coast line was blocked because of a tree falling on power lines, the company said. It advised customers not to travel.

Passengers, potentially including hundreds of delegates and journalists heading to Cop26, were told their tickets for today could still be used tomorrow.

Network Rail said power lines near Long Buckby, about halfway between Northampton and Rugby, had been damaged.

“We’re working on a plan to remove the tree & then fully assess the damage so we can plan a repair,” the body tweeted.

Avanti has agreed with TransPennine Express that the latter will take some passengers on “reasonable routes”.

According to The Independent’s climate correspondent, Daisy Dunne, dozens of people are also stuck en route at Milton Keynes, attempting to find ways around the blockage.

She added: “It seems that all routes to Glasgow are currently suffering delays and official advice from the train companies is to go home and try again tomorrow, which is simply not possible for many.”

Only yesterday, Avanti ran a dedicated “climate train” from London to the summit in Glasgow, providing the final link in a trans-European journey for some 300 activists.

The UK was lashed again by heavy rain and winds on Sunday, days after downpours blocked railway lines in northern England and Scotland. In some areas officials were forced to recommend people flee their homes due to rising river levels on Thursday.