Train services hit by long delays

Rail passengers were stranded for up to two hours after a signal failure near Milton Keynes.

Virgin train services were stuck both north and south of the town, at the height of the rush hour.

Network Rail said the power supply to the signalling system went down at 0835 BST somewhere in the Bletchley area on the West Coast Main Line.

However, by Thursday night services were back to normal, BBC Look East was informed by the rail firms.

Earlier Network Rail described the problems the service faced during the day.

"At around 1015 BST manual signalling was introduced allowing up to four trains per hour to move through the affected area," he said.

"During this time signalling engineers were checking miles of cable to locate the fault."

Trains from the north were turned around at Rugby and trains from Euston were going as far north as Northampton with buses in between.

Network Rail said it was an "unhappy coincidence" that passengers were delayed at a nearby site due to signalling problems last week.

On the 6 May power failure in the Milton Keynes area disrupted travel for thousands of passengers.

A spokesman added the 40-year-old cables were due to be replaced over the next few years.