Trains 'severely impacted' by fire near rail tracks

Major disruption is expected until the end of the day after a fire broke out by a railway track.

National Rail said a line side fire near London Road, Stevenage, had "severely impacted" signalling for services run by Great Northern, Thameslink, LNER and Lumo.

The blaze, which affected a gantry for overhead lines, was extinguished by mid-afternoon on Wednesday, Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue Service said.

Limited trains on the East Coast Main Line were now running after all services were earlier cancelled, but passengers were warned that they would be busy.

Passengers have been urged to regularly check National Rail Enquiries or with individual train operators for the latest information while urgent repairs were carried out.

Mark Barber, the fire service's assistant chief officer, said the blaze broke out at the side of the East Coast Main Line through Stevenage.

"Trains had to be stopped and overhead power lines isolated to allow firefighters to tackle the fire safely," he said.

"But we were able to extinguish the fire quickly to minimise disruption to rail passengers."

Railway operator Network Rail apologised to passengers affected by the disruption caused by the fire and the subsequent repair work.

Paul Rutter, Network Rail East Coast route director, added: "I’d like to thank firefighters at Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue service for their swift action to put out the fire and limit any further damage to the railway.

"Although we have been able to reopen the East Coast Main Line for a limited number of trains to run, we’re advising people to check before they travel as services will face major disruption for the rest of the day."

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