Posted 21st August 2017 | 1 Comment

Trains return after Ely freight derailment

A LINE blocked by a freight derailment has reopened today, after what Network Rail described as 'extensive repair work' to restore the track.

However, it is not yet clear what caused the derailment on 14 August at about 14.40, when 11 wagons of a 33-wagon container train were derailed just north of Ely on the line to Peterborough.

No one was hurt, but three passenger operators were affected. One of them, Greater Anglia, replaced train services between Bury St Edmunds and Peterborough with buses, which also provided a link for CrossCountry and East Midlands Trains passengers.

Freight trains also had to be diverted to other routes and congestion was reported on the Great Eastern Main Line as a result, causing some minor delays.

A major recovery operation was launched, using a rail crane. The line was cleared on Thursday afternoon, allowing track engineers to move in to replace 400m of line.

Simon Ancona, Network Rail’s chief operating officer for Anglia, said: “Our engineers and specialist teams have worked tirelessly over the last week to recover the derailed wagons and carry out major repair work so that services can resume today as planned. I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we completed the repairs.”

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has started an inquiry.

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  • Steve W, Confolens

    "The line was cleared on Thursday afternoon, allowing track engineers to move in to replace 400km of line."

    Really? 400 kilometres of line !!!

    [No, not really. Our little joke (inadvertently). 400m would read rather better.--Editor]