Rail passengers and motorists across Birmingham, the Black Country beyond have seen major disruption to their journeys as Storm Claudia wreaks havoc
Rush hour travellers in Birmingham, the Black Country and wider region are facing travel chaos on Friday night.
Storm Claudia has hit the region with persistent, heavy rain and strong winds all day on Friday (November 14).
This has led to flooded roads and a number of trees being felled blocking rail lines and streets across the area.
Read more: Storm Claudia live – region battered by rain and wind as rare amber alert issued
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for rain hitting the area on Friday with the alert in force from midday until just before midnight on Friday.
West Midlands Railway has reported multiple issues across its services.
The Chase Line from Birmingham New Street Station to Rugeley Trent Valley will see no more services on Friday with services ‘suspended’.
A tree was blocking the line at Cannock. Some Birmingham to Walsall trains will still run though.
A train driver’s view of a tree down on the track on one of the railway lines – with the Snow Hill and Chase lines mentioned(Image: West Midlands Railway )
There are also cancellations on the Snow Hill Line due to ‘multiple trees down’.
Bus firm National Express West Midlands is accepting train tickets on bus routes between Birmingham and Stourbridge and from Birmingham to Walsall.
The busy commuter route, the Cross City Line linking Lichfield, Sutton Coldfield and Erdington in the north and Bromsgrove and Redditch in the south with Birmingham New Street has seen a reduced service on Friday with just two trains per hour.
And trees were also blocking the line on the Worcester to Kidderminster and Stourbridge route.
Rail replacement buses were being used, and passengers could use train tickets on buses from Stourbridge to Birmingham.
A car is stranded in Green Road ford in Hall Green, Birmingham during Storm Claudia
There were more problems on the roads, with a car stranded at trouble spot Green Road ford in Hall Green.
A driver had driven into the ford but then saw rising flood water gush into their car which was left abandoned with its windscreen wipers and lights on.
National Express West Midlands said: “We are seeing a large amount of congestion across our network this evening due to Storm Claudia
“Several services are seeing delays to their scheduled times Please allow extra time to travel.
“We apologise for any disruption to your journey.”
Read more: Storm Claudia leaves main Birmingham road ‘like a river’
Quinton Birmingham city councillor, Sam Forsyth, reported floodwater in Ridgacre Road in her ward.
And the councillor slammed ‘idiot drivers’ for going onto the pavement to avoid the flooded road and consequently ‘endangering’ highways staff and pedestrians.
The Labour representative said: “Flooding on Ridgacre Road. Please avoid this road between Ridgacre Lane & the roundabout at Worlds End Road.
“Highways are out dealing with the issue but idiots driving on the pavement to avoid the water are not helping.
“You are endangering the crew & pedestrians. I will report the driver of the offending vehicle.”
A tree is down in Stream Road in Kingwinsford in the Dudley borough(Image: Dudley Council )
There were trees down in Steam Road in Kingwinsford in the Dudley area and Market Street in the same town.
And in Stourbridge Road in Bromsgrove.
And to add to the travel misery, there is also now a broken down tram reported between Priestfield and Wolverhampton Station in Wolverhampton. They are though running the rest of the route from Priestfield to the end of the line in Eddgbaston Village in Birmingham.