Railway line re-opens after fire on passenger train

A rail line has been re-opened after a fire on a passenger train in Kent.

Southeastern closed the line between Ashford International and Maidstone East on Tuesday following the incident which is thought to have been caused by overheating brakes.

Kent Fire and Rescue Service (KFRS) attended the scene, with five fire engines and a bulk water carrier, but it was later scaled down to two appliances.

A spokesperson for the train operator said: “Our driver and conductor worked quickly to evacuate the train and there were no reports of any injuries.”

The London-bound line remained closed throughout the remainder of Tuesday.

The line towards Ashford re-opened later in the day, though services on the line remained disrupted.

Repairs were carried out overnight and services were diverted via Paddock Wood.

The affected train was removed just after 03:30 BST on Wednesday and the line was re-opened.

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