Unexploded bomb causes severe delays at major train station
An unexploded wartime bomb is found near a major transport hub, causing the evacuation of passengers and serious delays.
Train services were disrupted across Birmingham on Tuesday morning after the device, believed to be an old mortar, was found near a railway line.
He was found at the Duddeston Mill Trading Estate on Duddeston Mill Road, Washwood Heath, at around 9.45am and emergency response was immediately initiated.
Lines between Birmingham New Street and Duddeston were closed as bomb squads took action, leading to major delays and cancellations on routes to Tamworth, Derby and Sheffield.
National Rail has warned that disruption could continue into the afternoon.
While experts evaluated the device, a 100-meter exclusion zone was created around the facility.
Network Rail said it was working with police, adding that services would be disrupted until the incident was made safe.
A spokesman said: “We are currently supporting West Midlands Police as they deal with an incident in Duddeston.
“As a result, some train services are currently disrupted. We will keep you updated with any information we receive.”
Later on Tuesday West Midlands Police said: Independent that the device has been removed and services will be restored.
A spokesman for West Midlands Police said: “The EOD bomb squad responded to the incident and made the mortar safe. The exclusion zone has been removed and the nearby railway line has reopened.”
“All lines have now reopened following an earlier wartime bomb explosion near the railway at Birmingham New Street,” National Rail said in an update.
“Trains to and from this station may continue to be cancelled, delayed by up to 50 minutes, revised or diverted.”
They added: “Disruption is now expected until 3pm.”
Thousands of unexploded Second World War bombs are found in Britain every year. The private sector deals with about 8,000 people a year, while the military assists with larger operations.
Construction, dredging and offshore projects frequently uncover unexploded ordnance; Those on land are generally buried deep below the surface. At sea, large quantities of unexploded devices from both the first and second world wars pose a significant hazard to offshore activities, including wind farms.
In 2024, an unexploded 500kg Nazi bomb was found by a man working on an extension in Plymouth. Hundreds of homes were evacuated and a military convoy was brought in to move houses through the streets in one of the country’s largest evacuations since World War II. It was detonated at sea.
