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Thursday 31 Mar 2022

Fire in Burton-Upon-Trent: Rail passengers urged to check their journey

Region & Route:

Eastern

| Eastern: East Midlands

Rail passengers between Derby and Birmingham are being asked to check before travelling as Network Rail and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue respond to a large fire in Burton-Upon-Trent.

The major fire – which began in the early hours of Thursday 31 March – has been close to the railway line throughout the day. This meant that trains in the area had to be stopped or diverted to keep everybody safe.

Engineers will need to wait until the fire has been fully extinguished before they’re able to assess any damage it may have caused to signalling equipment or power cables. Due to the nature and location of the fire, it could be as late as Saturday night before this can be done safely.

Network Rail is working closely with train operator, CrossCountry to safely operate a limited service between Birmingham and Derby. Passengers are urged to check their journey in advance with National Rail Enquiries or their train operator.

Tara Scott, East Midlands Infrastructure Director for Network Rail said: “We’re continuing to support Staffordshire Fire and Rescue in responding to a large fire close to the railway in Burton-Upon-Trent.

“We need to wait until our teams can safely check for any damage before we can bring back a normal train service. This may take some time and I’m sorry to anybody who has been affected by this. I’d like to thank people for their patience and understanding, and encourage passengers to check their journey before setting off.”

ENDS