Rush hour trains cancelled after conductors stuck in taxi were banned from walking half a mile to station over 'heath and safety' fears

Two rush hour trains were cancelled when ticket collectors stranded in a broken down taxi were banned from walking 10 minutes to the station due to ‘health and safer fears’.

London Midland bosses scrapped the busy commuter trains from Birmingham to Herefordshire on Tuesday when two conductors in a broken down cab failed to make it to the station on time.

The two ticket collectors had been making their way between Birmingham’s Snow Hill and New Street stations - a short half-mile walk from one part of the city centre to the other.

But when their taxi between the two stations broke down, officials said they couldn’t walk the rest of the way because the duo were carrying cash - so they cancelled two trains instead.

The bizarre decision left hundreds of rush hour commuters accusing health and safety-conscious officials of ‘ridiculous red tape’.

The journey between the two city stations could actually have been quicker on foot - as the pedestrianisation of Birmingham forces cars into a lengthy detour.

PR executive Paula Yates, 30, who was stranded at New Street station for 45 minutes, fumed: ‘This was a short walk across a safe city at a busy time of day and you would expect them to be able to make a logical and sensible exception to their rules.

‘It wasn't like they would be asking the staff to walk down a back alley in the middle of the night.

‘But because of ridiculous red-tape yet again we see an absurd example of health and safety rules gone stark raving mad.'

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Another passenger Freddie Gundersen, 38, an IT consultant, from Birmingham, added: 'At 5pm the traffic in Birmingham is a nightmare and because of pedestrianised streets it would have been much quicker to walk.

'It is absolutely disgusting that they would cancel two packed trains because of so-called company policy.

'The thing that gets me with these sort of companies is why common sense never seems to prevail. It is just baffling that they can treat customers this way.'

Computer science student Daniel Mander, 19, was stuck at University station and his journey home to Bromsgrove was delayed by around 40 minutes.

He wrote to London Midland on Twitter: 'Could you please pass on that it is generally quicker to walk between the two stations!'

Daniel, who pays #275 for a three-month rail ticket, said: 'The two stations are a five minute walk apart.

'With the traffic in the city centre I would imagine that it takes longer by taxi.

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'I know that myself and a lot of other commuters are getting extremely fed up of the poor service from London Midland.’’

A spokesman for Passenger Focus, a commuter support group, added: 'Clearly this was irritating for passengers, so we’ll establish from London Midland why its staff were unable to walk.'

A London Midland spokeswoman defended the move and said it was company policy to provide taxis for conductors travelling between stations for their 'safety and protection'.

She said: 'We apologise to passengers who were affected by the cancellation of the 17.49 Birmingham New St – Hereford and 17.59 Birmingham New St – Great Malvern services.

'The two conductors who were due to work these trains were stuck in a broken down taxi in Birmingham city centre.

'For the safety and protection of its employees, it is London Midland’s policy to provide taxis for conductors travelling between stations as they carry cash and card reading equipment.'

* London Midland has previously suffered a huge commuter backlash over the staffing shortfalls, which saw almost 1,000 services cancelled or delayed between October and December in 2012.