Rail passengers have opened up about "nightmare" travel delays caused by damage on the line that saw trains cancelled, diverted and left some stranded with no way home.

Damage to overhead electric wires between Peterborough and Grantham over the weekend (December 9 and 10) caused chaos for passengers who were left to wait overnight for the next available train.

Amongst the hundreds of travellers across the UK who were left waiting for hours to catch a train home were many Newcastle United fans who travelled to London to see the magpies clash with Tottenham Hotspur.

Now, after the damage has been fixed and most trains are running smoothly, those who experienced the delays have described the ordeal as nightmarish. 

Sam Lumsdon, a Newcastle season ticket holder from Bishop Auckland, said: “It was nightmare all round really. We left the ground at Spurs and had tickets for the 8pm train back up north.

“When we got out of the ground, it was still meant to be running according to the LNER website, but by the time we got across the King’s Cross on the tube, it had been cancelled.

“Then the rest of the trains for the night were cancelled too. There were three of us, but luckily we all know mates who live in London. We managed to persuade them to let us sleep on the floor.

"The trains were running on Monday morning, so we got back home, but two of us have had to take a day off work unpaid which isn’t really ideal this close to Christmas.”

Scott Wilson, The Northern Echo's Chief Sports Writer, headed to the capital to cover the match and was also impacted by the unexpected cancellations.

He said: “It was a difficult day all round, and to be honest, it’s remarkable that as many travelling Newcastle fans made it to Spurs for the game as they did.

“I was meant to be getting the 8.58am train from Darlington to King’s Cross on Sunday morning, but as soon I arrived at the station it was clear there were massive problems.

“Trains were cancelled left, right and centre, but there was one train south from Darlington to Grantham. We got one that, and there were meant to be buses laid on to take people from Grantham to Peterborough.

“They didn’t materialize though, so like lots of fans, it was a case of clubbing together with other journos to shell out on a taxi from Grantham to Peterborough because there was no other way of getting anywhere.

“Then it was back onto the train from Peterborough to London. Coming back, the 9pm train was meant to be heading out of King’s Cross, but that was cancelled just as we got to the station after the game at about 8.15pm. Then they announced that the last train of the night, the 10pm, was cancelled too.

“It’s obviously not the train companies’ fault that the line damage was so extensive that the trains couldn’t run – it was just the confusion and late cancellations that were the most annoying thing.

“Really, they should just have announced straight away that there’d be no trains running, then at least people would have known where they stood.”

Another traveller, Anita Atkinson, from Weardale, was mean to be travelling to London to meet her nephew, Adrian Smith. He has been walking from his home in St John's Chapel to the capital to plead for world peace.

But her travel day took a turn for the worse as her train was forced to return back to where it started.

She said: “I duly left Sunderland and everything was fine, an enjoyable and comfortable journey – until the train stopped at Retford station.

“Not even the staff could fathom why, but it became apparent after an hour that the train could not proceed due to an overhead power line across the line somewhere near Grantham.

“The only solution was for the train to reverse back to Sunderland. At York, I witnessed a platform full of people who had been waiting for a train, and many boarded mine.

“Eventually, we arrived back in Sunderland at 11.30pm.”

Following the days of disruption, LNER has confirmed that passengers with tickets dated 9 December 9 and 10, 2023 can use their tickets for travel on December 11 and 12, and any unused tickets will be refunded.

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An LNER spokesperson added: “Severe damage to the overhead lines between Peterborough and Grantham led to disruption on the rail network over the weekend with customers advised not to travel on Saturday evening and yesterday (Sunday 10 December).

“This message was publicised on our website and social media platforms as well as being shared with media and station and onboard announcements were made.

“Our teams worked hard to keep customers who did travel on the move with onward transport where possible and booked hotels and taxis for those affected.

“We appreciate customers’ journeys were disrupted and thank them for their understanding.”