Media centre

Friday 15 Feb 2019

Trains continue to run on the West Coast main line after overnight bridge repairs

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Trains on the West Coast main line are running through the Stafford area after Network Rail worked through the night to repair a badly damaged bridge.

Brickwork on the Worston Lane bridge was damaged yesterday (14 February) after being hit by a vehicle.

The driver, who Network Rail is working with the police to trace, failed to stop at the scene.

Trains are running but will be disrupted as two of the four tracks underneath the bridge are closed and speed restrictions are in place for safety reasons. Further repairs are needed before the railway can fully reopen. The road remains closed.

Martin Colmey, current operations manager for Network Rail, said: “We have worked through the night to make the bridge safe so trains can continue to run on the busy West Coast main line underneath.

“The bridge has done what it was designed to do and has stopped a vehicle potentially crashing down onto the railway. But it is hugely frustrating as the incident was entirely avoidable if the driver had been driving responsibly and carefully.

“We will complete the repairs as safely and quickly as possible but in the meantime passengers should check www.nationalrail.co.uk for the latest travel information.”

For the latest travel information visit www.nationalrail.co.uk.