TRAIN passengers faced severe delays when a major fire forced Network Rail to close the track between Worcester and Hereford.

Hereford and Worcester Fire and Rescue Service were called to the blaze at Wyvern Tyres, Holmer Trading Estate, Hereford, on Monday at 6.45pm.

The thick black smoke and debris coming from the fire, combined with the possibility of a wall collapsing on to the track, forced the fire service to advise Network Rail to halt all trains.

Train services from Hereford to Shrewsbury and Hereford to Worcester were cancelled and the line re-opened at 10am yesterday, with trains travelling at 5mph.

A spokeswoman for Arriva Trains Wales said the buses were delayed on the road due to heavy traffic.

"The road between Hereford and Leominster is a very busy stretch of road so there were delays and we are sorry for that," she said. "There will be further delays as trains have to travel at 5mph."

Keith Lumley, spokesman for Network Rail, said: "As soon as people from the insurance company have finished their work there will be a demolition firm on site to demolish the wall. We are not expecting to close the railway for that to happen."

At the height of the blaze 10 fire engines were at the scene. The fire service said at 11.12pm there was a partial collapse of the single-storey building, which was used as a tyre and double glazing storage centre.

At lunchtime yesterday demolition of the remainder of the building began and a spokesman for the fire service said the fire investigation team had done as much as it could before the demolition commenced.