TRAIN services between Hereford and Ledbury this morning have been delayed or cancelled after a car ended up on the railway line.

The problem has caused knock-on delays in services through Malvern and Worcester.

London Midland Trains have reported that recovery vehicle are on site to remove the vehicle from the line, but services are not expected to return to normal until 10am at least.

The train company has ordered bus replacement services to carry passengers betwwn Hereford. Ledbury, Malvern and Worcester.

At Ledbury railway station, travellers arriving for the 7.45am train to Worcester and Birmingham were told there would be no service from Ledbury until after 9am.

One lady, needing to get to Birmingham Airport for a morning flight, was advised, with an apology at the ticket office, to drive there.

A mother with a young daughter told her disappointed child: "There's no train for our trip."

Numbers of travellers for the other direction, to Hereford,  grew in number steadily, with many commenting that they expected coaches to arrive, and wondering why they had not.  

Ledbury Reporter Gary Bills-Geddes was one commuter affected by the cancellations.

He said: "Station master John Goldrick was giving the very best advice he could on what must have been a very trying morning. He remained helpful and polite.

"He advised me that the earliest train to Worcester would be 9.06am at the earliest, and when I arrived back at the station, at 8.45am, the train was already in and waiting. That was a great relief.

"By then, I would estimate that there were at least 80 people waiting for trains or coaches, perhaps even more, with most of them appearing to be travellers for Hereford.

"Shortly after I boarded my train for Worcester, a train came in for Hereford, along the other line, and I noticed Mr Goldrick in the platform, making sure that everyone who needed to was getting on. That was about 9.10am."