Michelle Handforth was Network Rail’s boss for the Wales and Western region.

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Her resignation comes after an overhead cable failure caused all trains leaving London Paddington to come to a halt on December 7.

Travellers, including Countdown star Rachel Riley and singer James Blunt, were stranded in carriages — some with no information or access to ­toilets for more than three hours — in West London.

Blunt posted on X: “Been stuck somewhere outside Paddington for close to 4 hours now. Out of peanuts and wine”, while Riley wrote: “Nearly 4 hours after we got on, we’re getting off the Elizabeth line, woohoo!”

Seven GWR, Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express ­services were disrupted.

Ms Handforth, 61, had been in her £330,000-a-year role since 2020. In a letter, she told staff: “It’s been a real privilege to work with you all through the highs and lows of the past couple of years, and while this decision is a real wrench to me, I believe it is the right one for me, my family and the business.”

In its annual report Network Rail admitted satisfaction scores for over-crowding, cleanliness and station environment were below par in Ms Handforth’s region.

Network Rail chief executive Andrew Haines said: “I would like to thank Michelle for her hard work and support over these past three-and-a-half years.”