Power cut shuts Bournemouth station, disruption to last until 7pm

Major disruption is affecting rail services through Bournemouth and is expected to continue until 19:00, according to [2]. National Rail says power has now been restored at the station, but further safety checks are being carried out before lines can fully reopen, meaning trains may be severely delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised throughout the affected period, according to [2]. The disruption hits two operators. CrossCountry services between Bournemouth and Birmingham New Street, and between Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly, are affected, as are South Western Railway services between Bournemouth and Southampton Central or Winchester, between Weymouth and London Waterloo, and between Poole and Bournemouth, according to [2]. National Rail says trains between London Waterloo and Bournemouth or Weymouth are now able to run into Bournemouth and beyond, but remain subject to short-notice alterations or cancellations. The same applies in the other direction, from Weymouth and Bournemouth towards London Waterloo. Passengers travelling from Southampton Central towards Bournemouth or Weymouth, and those heading from Weymouth towards Bournemouth, Southampton and London Waterloo, should expect severe delays as well as possible short-notice changes, according to [2]. South Western Railway has put on replacement buses to cover the gap. Two semi-fast buses are on standby at Weymouth to run to Wareham via Dorchester South and Wool as needed, while a stopping bus on standby at Wareham is due to run to Weymouth, calling at Wool, Moreton, Dorchester South and Upwey, arriving at Weymouth station by 12:30, according to [2]. Additional buses have also been requested to run between Southampton Central, Bournemouth and Weymouth. Passengers whose journeys are heavily disrupted can book their own taxi and claim the fare back through the South Western Railway website, for travel between any stations the operator serves between Southampton Central and Weymouth, according to [2]. Claimants will need to provide a detailed account of their journey. National Rail is also advising passengers to keep their tickets and note the details of their journey to support any compensation claim. It is worth noting that a separate fire and evacuation at Birmingham New Street this morning, reported by [1], also caused major disruption on the rail network — including to some CrossCountry services between Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly that pass through that station. However, [1] reported that incident was expected to clear by 10am, with West Midlands Fire Service dealing with an onboard fault and the station reopening afterwards. The Bournemouth power fault flagged in [2] is a separate incident, with its own timeline running to 19:00, and nothing in the material ties the two events together beyond the shared CrossCountry route. What to watch: whether National Rail's 19:00 end time for the Bournemouth disruption holds once the safety checks are complete, or whether delays run on into the evening commute.