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Chiltern Railways has announced that train services will be heavily reduced on Friday and the few trains running are expected to be much busier than normal.

The route from Birmingham Moor Street to London will be limited to one train per hour in each direction and there will be no service north of Birmingham Moor Street or Stratford-upon-Avon.

Denise Wetton, route director for the Network Rail Central route, said: “We are doing everything we can to prepare for the impact of these extreme weather conditions.”

CR operations director Tony Baxter said: “Heavy rainfall is expected on our route on Friday, which could cause flooding, blockages and damage to the railway.”

Avanti West Coast also announced a lower timetable due to speed restrictions imposed by Network Rail, saying: “Fewer trains will run and journeys will take longer.”