The UK’s rail network has been hit by major disruption today after reports of cracks found on high-speed trains.

Great Western Railway (GWR) said a number of Hitachi 800 series trains across several operators have been taken out of service “for checks as a precautionary measure”.

London North Eastern Railways (LNER) and Hull Trains have also been affected.

A GWR spokesperson told Sky News there have been reports of “hairline cracks on the suspension” of the trains but insisted the issue “doesn’t affect the structural integrity of the carriage”.

“This problem is being investigated by Hitachi and once trains have been checked, we hope to be able to release them back into service as soon as possible,” the spokesperson added.

An LNER spokesperson said the problem with the Hitachi trains was identified overnight.

The company warned passengers on Saturday “please do not travel” as services have been delayed and cancelled.

Tickets for journeys today will be valid up to Sunday 16 May, it added.

⚠️ #LNERUpdate Due to a problem under investigation, services route wide are subject to delays and cancellations. Please DO NOT TRAVEL, tickets will be valid up to and including Sunday 16th May 2021 (a new reservation MUST be made). pic.twitter.com/d0RboKh2pK

GWR said “there will be significant disruption across the network today” and services running to and from London’s Paddington Station have been cancelled.

Hull Trains said services across its whole network may be cancelled, with disruption expected until the end of the day.

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