Work on the £2bn rail improvement project for Oxfordshire and the South East is being reviewed after it delayed county train services.

Network Rail was driving in large metal posts along the Great Western Main Line to support new overhead electric wires, as part of its electrification project.

But last week vibration from the piling near Slough disturbed an underground power cable, which resulted in signalling failures, delaying services between Oxfordshire and London.

The firm is now investigating how it happened and what it can do to prevent it happening again.

Spokeswoman Victoria Bradley said: “We have stopped piling in the area until we have reviewed the process that caused the problems last week.”

The piling will be carried out in Oxfordshire after the new year, once 29 county bridges over the line have been raised to make room for the new overhead wires.

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