Delays for rail commuters from Huntingdon and St Neots after repairs to power lines run through the night

Rail commuters have endured a difficult return to work due to problems at Huntingdon.

Passengers on the busy First Capital Connect line between Huntingdon, St Neots and London suffered morning rush-hour delays in a knock-on effect from last night’s severe disruption.

This was due to overhead wire problems at Huntingdon and affected not only East Coast passengers but those travelling with First Capital Connect, First Hull Trains and Grand Central.

Repairs have now been completed but passengers were warned to expect disruption until 10am.

Mick Cash, acting general secretary of transport union the RMT, said: “We have been warning for years that cuts to staffing and maintenance on the overhead lines have left them as a weak link in our rail infrastructure. Those warnings have been ignored and last night and this morning passengers have been left to pay the price.

“The solution is to clear the maintenance and renewals backlog and employ more staff or we will see this morning’s transport chaos on rail and Tube repeated throughout the winter.”

A spokesman for the East Coast train company said Network Rail engineers worked through the night to repair the damage at Huntingdon.