Signal fire near Oldbury station causes four-hour train delays
Passengers faced delays of up to four hours as electrical cabling burst into flames near a train station.
More than 20 replacement coaches were laid on for commuters following the blaze, the cause of which is unknown.
Engineers from Network Rail were working through the night to ensure a full service was operational today on the line.
Electric cables affecting signals near Langley Green train station, near Oldbury, came alight at around 4.50pm yesterday.
It caused the electricity supply to be disrupted - causing barriers at the Crosswells Road level crossing to shut down blocking the street.
Many train signals along the line between Birmingham Snow Hill and Stourbridge Junction stations also stopped working, forcing Network Rail to halt many London Midland and Chilton Railways services.
Four trains stuck on the tracks at the time fire broke out remained stranded until being taken to the nearest station to allow passengers to disembark.
Replacement coaches were arranged to collect people for their onward journeys including seven coaches serving Stourbridge Junction and seven for Snow Hill.
West Midlands Fire Service press officer, Station Commander Dean Harris, said: "Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the fire. We have to assume it was due to an electrical fault."
Police were called to help direct traffic through the level crossing when it could be opened shortly afterwards.
On Twitter, one commuter, Marc Aspery, called his journey an 'absolute nightmare' taking two and a half hours after his train was stuck while travelling from Moor Street to Rowley Regis
Fellow traveller Liz Rudd said she spent four hours getting a replacement coach from Snow Hill to Stourbridge then another bus to Kidderminster.
