Plane crash on tracks causes continued rail delays

Rail passengers are being advised that they are likely to face continued travel disruptions following the fatal crash of an airplane on a major line.

The accident occurred on the line linking London Euston and Manchester Piccadilly stations, causing disruptions for many holiday travellers heading home after the Christmas break.

All rail services between Rugby and Stafford came to a halt, with emergency service workers facing a “race against time.”

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “That section of track remains closed and Virgin Trains on the West Coast Mainline are being diverted via Birmingham, adding an extra 45 minutes to journey times.”

The spokesperson added: “We are in the hands of air accident investigators. We can’t start repairs until they have concluded their work.”

Services running between Euston and the north-west of England and Glasgow on Virgin Trains were significantly delayed due to the crash and the ensuing investigation.

A spokesman for Virgin Trains noted that two trains were running to Manchester and one to Birmingham, one to Glasgow and one to Liverpool.

He went on to say: “We know that the overhead line is damaged but we do not know to what extent it is damaged.

“This presents us with difficulties in determining how long delays will last.

“All we can say for now is that people can make journeys but they will be subject to delay.”

London Midland, which operates trains connecting Birmingham and Liverpool and Crewe with London Euston, suspended services around the accident area.

Thanks to www.independent.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.networkrail.co.uk