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Major disruption to rail services caused by safety checks into cracks on some carriages could last for days, operators have warned.
Passengers on West of England and south Wales services run by GWR and East Coast main line services run by LNER were warned not to travel due to the disruption.
Hull Trains and TransPennine Express (TPE) between Newcastle and Liverpool were also affected.
The problem stems from concerns about jacking points on the fleets of new Class 800 Hitachi high-speed trains.
Hitachi Rail said in a statement that it took the decision to carry out precautionary checks after routine inspectionsrevealed cracks on some carriages.
GWR, which operates 93 Hitachi 800 trains, has warned the disruption to services is likely to continue “into the following week” and urged customers to request refunds.
“Train timetables are presently being worked on and will be published as soon as possible.”
They added the issue is affecting GWR journeys between Paddington and Bristol, Swansea, Penzance, Hereford and Cheltenham Spa, and that other services still running will be “very busy” as a result.
Hitachi Rail said: “Safety is our number one priority and as a precaution, the decision was taken to halt the entry into service of our intercity fleets pending inspection.
“Having been cleared for service, some trains are now running again across the network.
“We are working as quickly and safely as possible to investigate the issue across the remainder of the fleets.”
Rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said he had asked train operators to deploy extra staff to help passengers complete their journeys and access refunds.
He added: “Whilst some trains are starting to be reintroduced, disruption is likely for a prolonged period, particularly on GWR.
“I share the frustration of passengers who are experiencing significant disruption, and would ask people whose journeys are affected to check before travelling.”
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