Westoe Travel customers have taken to social media to praise staff who stepped in to provide alternative travel and accommodation when the East Coast Main Line was hit by severe disruption at the weekend.

Passengers were advised not to travel on LNER trains because of damage to overhead lines between Peterborough and Grantham on Saturday 9 December and travel problems continued on Sunday.

Customers who had booked through Westoe Travel’s Rail Adventures operator were caught up in the chaos.

An out-of-hours team, led by Assistant Manager Alice Appleby, assisted affected customers with alternative travel arrangements and additional accommodation.  

South Shields-based Westoe Travel posted on its Facebook page to say: “There has been chaos with trains cancelled between London and Newcastle today and we had two large groups affected and stranded in London.

“Fortunately our amazing team headed straight into work to sort all of the customers with new travel arrangements and hotels where needed.”

“It shows the importance of booking a package through an ABTA member like Westoe Travel who have our own tour operator –Rail Adventures – for rail holidays

One customer commented: “You are all stars – sorted us out today, thank you so much,” while another described Westoe as the ‘best travel agent around’.

Another said Westoe has ‘the best staff that goes above and beyond’.