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Cables have been stripped from an area near a major rail junction causing disruption for weekend passengers, a train operator said.

Greater Anglia said the theft between Shenfield and Brentwood, in Essex, resulted in a “loss of signalling” and the lines being blocked to London Liverpool Street on Saturday morning.

Network Rail and British Transport Police teams were sent to replace the cables in order to reopen the railway, with trains then resuming about lunch time.

A Greater Anglia spokesman said it was “sorry for the disruption” and affected passengers would be able to claim compensation for any delays.

The spokesperson added Saturday travel tickets could now be used on Sunday instead.

It was expected to take up to three hours before the train timetable was back to normal.

Greater Anglia said trains would be delayed, altered and cancelled in order to get crews and vehicles back into the correct places.

Signalling problems were first reported early on Saturday, before Greater Anglia later said the cable has been stolen.

Shenfield is a major junction for many services, including trains using the Great Eastern Main Line.

The blocked lines had prevented trains from running between Shenfield, Romford and London.

Passengers had also been unable to travel as normal on intercity trains between Norwich, Ipswich and London Liverpool Street.

Routes between Clacton-on-Sea, Colchester, Braintree Town and Southend Victoria to Liverpool Street were blocked too.

Passengers from Norwich were told to travel to London via Cambridge instead on GTR trains between Ely and London King’s Cross.

The incident also affected trains on the Elizabeth line between Stratford and Shenfield.

Greater Anglia, which runs trains across the East of England and into London, is to be brought into public ownership on Sunday.