Media centre

Tuesday 24 Sep 2024

Railway engineers respond to flooding on the Marston Vale line

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Services between Bedford and Bletchley have been suspended due to flooding, after parts of Bedfordshire saw over 100mm of rainfall in 48 hours as reported by the MET desk.

Network Rail engineers are working as fast as possible to make the route safe for trains to run and reopen the line for passengers.

Since yesterday (Monday 23 September) no trains have been able to run in either direction on the Marston Vale line between Bedford and Bletchley. The railway is expected to be closed for around seven days, until the rain water has subsided.

Gary Walsh, West Coast South’s route director, said: “I'm sorry to passengers affected by the flooding. We have specialist repair teams on site working as fast as they can to make the railway safe. The area around the Marston Vale line has experienced unprecedented levels of rainfall, affecting not only the railway but the road infrastructure and local housing too.

“Disruption is expected throughout the week so we’re urging people to plan their journeys and check before they travel with their train operator or National Rail Enquiries.”

While the railway is closed, London Northwestern Railway is operating a replacement bus service for passengers between Bletchley and Bedford with customers advised to plan their journey at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, said: “I would like to thank our customers for their patience while the Marston Vale line remains closed due to the severe flooding which has affected the region.

“Rail replacement transport is in operation but with floods also impacting local roads, passengers are advised to leave extra time for their journeys.”

The flooding has affected the signalling equipment on the track and the power supply for the railway equipment on the Marston Vale line. The volume of water on the track has also impacted the level crossings along the line and Network Rail engineers are working to bring the track and the crossings back into service as soon as possible. Due to prolonged and sustained rainfall it has been harder than usual to inspect the railway and there is still a substantial amount of water to disperse before testing can take place.

Network Rail is committed to protecting the railway from flooding for years to come and aims to make the railway more robust and reliable for passengers, as the UK faces more extreme weather conditions due to climate change. Over the next five years Network Rail will continue to invest in the Marston Vale line between Bedford and Bletchley, including the closure of some of the level crossings that are prone to flooding from water running off the road and onto the railway.

For more information on how storms impact the railway and how Network Rail works to keep people on the move, you can visit https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/delays-explained/storms/.