RAIL passengers are facing long delays after a signalling fault "completely blocked" routes running through Worcester.

The problem, which arose earlier this morning, lay between Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill stations.

There was another signalling fault between Droitwich and Worcester Shrub Hill, shortly after the first set of problems.

Lines are now re-open, however many passengers have been waiting on delayed services for more than an hour.

Worcester News reporter Sam Greenway was on one of the affected services.

He said: "So we keep crawling and then stopping. Currently stopped in same place for 30 mins near Droitwich. Everyone fed up."

And reporter Rob Hale was waiting at Great Malvern station for the cancelled 10.10am service to Worcester Foregate Street.

He said around a dozen people were waiting at the platform, however a bus arrived to take passengers on to Ledbury and Hereford.

"People are standing around and just wondering what is going on," he said.

Network Rail engineers have now fixed the problem, while National Rail said train services would continue to be disrupted until midday. 

However, disruptions are understood to have now cleared.

The disruptions are affecting both London Midland and Great Western Railway services.

Londond Midland said road transport would be arranged for passengers.

Earlier this morning, a statement on London Midland's website said: "Due to a fault with the signalling system between Worcester Foregate Street and Worcester Shrub Hill all lines are blocked."

A spokesman for Network Rail, which manages the infrastructure, said: “We experienced points failures this morning between Worcester Shrub Hill and Worcester Tunnel Junction and at Droitwich Spa.

"These have now been rectified, and all lines between the stations have re-opened.”

Road transport was due to be arranged for London Midland passengers using services between Kidderminster and Worcester Foregate Street, and Longbridge to Worcester Foregate Street, via Bromsgrove and Worcester Shrub Hill.

Great Western Railway is accepting London Midland tickets between Hereford and Worcester Shrub Hill.

Arriva Trains Wales will also accept London Midland tickets between Hereford and Shrewsbury - a route which will allow passengers to get towards Birmingham via Wolverhampton. 

Routes affected include: London Paddington and Worcester Foregate Street, Westbury and Great Malvern, Birminham New Street and Hereford/Great Malvern, between Whitlocks End/ Leamington Spa and Worcester Foregate Street.