Posted 3rd February 2012 | 2 Comments

West Coast services restored after derailment

TRAIN services were restored through Bletchley on Friday afternoon following the derailment of a freight locomotive just south of the station, but weekend rail travellers still faced disruption because a full timetable could not be restored straight away..

All four main line tracks were closed after a Freightliner locomotive was routinely halted at Bletchley at about 02.15 on Friday morning and, after restarting, became derailed on a crossover with a speed restriction of 15mph ( 24km/h).

Unconfirmed reports have suggested that the locomotive, which was hired to Virgin Trains and running light under the control of a VT driver, may have been travelling too fast.

The derailed locomotive continued for some distance, causing serious damage to the track and also the overhead lines. The driver was slightly injured but discharged from hospital later the same day. 

The damage meant that all overhead power in the area had to be turned off, blocking the West Coast Main Line and disrupting the journeys of thousands of people.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has launched an inquiry.

Reader Comments:

Views expressed in submitted comments are that of the author, and not necessarily shared by Railnews.

  • Mark Doran, Oxford, UK

    Virgin should learn the lesson from this fiasco, dispense with the distraction of locomotive-haulage and concentrate on running a punctual, reliable Pendolino/Voyager service, even if it means sacrificing the Fridays-only "Pretendolino".

  • jak jaye, sutton, united kingdom

    How is it it takes 24hours+ to haul a derailed loco off the road and get tracks and overhead wires sorted? in WW11 St Pancras (the classic one,not the rubbish now) was flattened in an air raid the roof was holed whole trains were flung about yet the station was back in used 24 hours later.the overhead wires are as much use as a mars bar in the desert.