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Sunday 28 Jul 2019

Network Rail apologises as Midland Main Line disruption continues for Thameslink passengers

Region & Route:

National

Network Rail is apologising to passengers for continued disruption at the southern end of the Midland Main Line, as it was announced that Thameslink commuters will face a reduced service on Monday.

Engineers have been working around the clock to repair serious damage to the wires that happened during Thursday’s heatwave.

And while work has progressed far enough to allow East Midlands Trains to plan a full and normal service on Monday, the full extent of the required works means disruption will carry on into the working week for Thameslink passengers.

Network Rail engineers will continue working hard to complete the work as soon as possible, but there could still be some knock-on effects for passengers beyond Monday.

East Midlands Trains and Thameslink have been running fewer trains since Thursday as Network Rail has worked to repair severe damage to overhead line equipment in West Hampstead.

Engineers working at the scene over the weekend discovered the scope of the work was larger than previously anticipated. What was already set to be a challenging job became a major piece of repair work, meaning about 2km of overhead line equipment is in the process of being replaced.

Rob McIntosh, managing director of Network Rail Eastern, said: “I am very sorry that some passengers are continuing to see disruption on the southern parts of the Midland Main Line.

“Network Rail engineers worked around the clock over the weekend to restore services ahead of the working week. Unfortunately, the discovery of previously unidentified damage to wiring means we now need more time to work on the track.

“I know how disruptive this is to our passengers and I’m sorry we haven’t been able to fully reopen the line. We are working as hard as we can to finish the repair work and to reduce disruption for customers.”

Passengers should consult train operators or National Rail Enquiries before starting their journeys and allow additional travel time. Services could be busier and take longer than usual while a reduced timetable is in force.