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Friday 26 Jun 2026

Bedford train collision – passenger services to resume on Monday 29 June as recovery work completed

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National

Recovery and repair work at the site of the Bedford train collision has now been fully completed, with passenger services on the Midland Main Line set to resume on Monday 29 June.

Passengers travelling today (Friday 26 June) are also reminded that a Met Office red weather warning for extreme heat is in force across a large part of England, and should only travel today if absolutely necessary.

Network Rail engineers have now completed the complex recovery operation following the collision between two East Midlands Railway trains near Bedford on Friday 19 June.

The operation involved removing the overhead line equipment, constructing a temporary access road and concrete foundation, and then using two 110-tonne rail-mounted Kirow cranes to lift the trains and carriages from the site. Engineers subsequently carried out a full inspection and repair of the track, signalling and overhead line equipment before completing all final safety checks.

Passengers travelling this Saturday or Sunday should check the EMR and Thameslink websites for the latest information ahead of Monday's service timetable.

• Service updates | EMR
• Train Service Updates | Thameslink

East Midlands Railway (EMR) Service Update

EMR will be operating a full timetable on their Intercity route from Monday 29 June. Some journeys may still be subject to short-notice changes or cancellations as they restart services following an extended period of closure. Customers are advised to check their journey before travelling to the station.

Greater Thameslink Railway (GTR) Service Update

Thameslink services will resume on Monday 29 June and there will be extra staff on hand at key stations along the route to help and support customers with their journeys.

Passenger services on the Midland Main Line will resume on Monday 29 June. Services will not run this weekend (Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 June) due to planned engineering works, which were already scheduled before the incident. Rail replacement buses will continue to operate over the weekend between:

• Bedford and Luton
• Luton and West Hampstead Thameslink
• Hitchin and Luton Airport Parkway via Luton
• Harpenden and Potters Bars via St Albans.

Extreme heat: travel advice for today, Friday 26 June

A Met Office red weather warning for extreme heat is in force today across a large part of England, including the areas served by the Midland Main Line. Extremely high temperatures put significant strain on rail infrastructure, with the risk of tracks expanding, overhead lines sagging and other systems being affected, leading to potential delays, cancellations and last-minute timetable changes. For safety reasons, trains may operate at reduced speeds and to amended timetables, meaning journeys are likely to take longer than usual. There will be no rail replacement bus services today.

Passengers are asked to only travel today if their journey is absolutely necessary, and are strongly advised to carry water, wear cool clothing and allow extra time. Customers who hold a ticket for travel today can instead use it to travel on any day up to and including Tuesday 30 June, or can claim a full refund with no administration fee charged.

Mark Budden, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail, said: “This has been a complex and challenging recovery operation, and I’d like to thank our engineers and colleagues across the railway for the professionalism, skill, and dedication they’ve shown in safely completing the work as quickly as possible to get passengers moving again.  

“Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by the incident, including driver Shaun Burton’s loved ones, and those still recovering.  

“With repairs now complete, we will be able to reopen the Midland Main Line on Monday. We understand the disruption that this closure has caused, and we’re grateful to passengers for their patience while we carried out this essential work. 

“This week’s extreme heat has also presented additional challenges for the railway, so, we’re asking passengers to only travel today if their journey is absolutely necessary and to plan ahead, check the latest information, and take care in the hot conditions.”

Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said: “As we begin to reopen the railway following last week’s tragic incident, we do so with profound sadness for Shaun Burton, his loved ones, and all those affected. They remain firmly in our thoughts.

“I would like to thank staff at EMR, our colleagues at Network Rail and across the wider industry for their exceptional dedication in very challenging circumstances.

"We recognise the disruption of the past week has had a significant impact on our customers and are grateful for the patience, understanding and compassion they have shown to our staff.”

Louis Rambaud, Chief Customer Officer for GTR, which operates Thameslink, said: "The completion of the recovery work at Bedford is the result of a truly remarkable effort by Network Rail engineers and colleagues from across the industry, who have worked tirelessly and at extraordinary pace in very difficult circumstances. Our thoughts continue to be with Shaun Burton's family, friends and colleagues, and with all those still recovering from the incident.

"The disruption of the past week will have had a real impact on our customers and I want to thank them sincerely for the patience and understanding they have shown. We are looking forward to welcoming them back on to the Thameslink route from Monday 29 June.

"In the meantime, with the Met Office red heat warning in force across much of the south and east of England today, we are asking anyone who doesn't need to travel to stay home, and reminding those who do need to make a journey to check before they leave, carry water and allow extra time. Our staff are on hand at key stations throughout today to help."