STORM force winds battered the West Midlands, damaging power lines and knocking trees on to roads and rail lines as they caused travel misery across the region.

Train passengers and staff escaped injury just before noon yesterday when a tree fell on to London Midland’s 10.27am service from Redditch to Lichfield Trent Valley, between Sutton Coldfield and Four Oaks.

Overhead electricity cables were understood to have broken the tree’s fall as it landed on the northbound train, with passengers eventually escorted on foot to a coach waiting in Boswell Road.

Buses were put on with dozens of services affected as the line was closed while engineers worked throughout the day to clear the tree.

It was the day’s second incident involving a London Midland service. Train users had helped clear a line after gusts of up to 55mph knocked a tree onto tracks at Wood End station, between Stratford-upon-Avon and Shirley, at 7am.