West Coast line shut by collision of repair trains

Part of the troubled West Coast rail line had to be closed yesterday after a crash derailed engineering trains that were intended for work on track improvements.

Part of the troubled West Coast rail line had to be closed yesterday after a crash derailed engineering trains that were intended for work on track improvements.

Six wagons, carrying materials to upgrade the line, crashed into each other before coming off the rails at Shap in Cumbria. Thousands of passengers suffered delays averaging 90 minutes.

Weekend travellers were already forced to contend with another closure on the line, which takes Virgin trains from London to Manchester and Scotland, between Hemel Hempstead and Bletchley.

A spokeswoman for Network Rail said two trains had collided at about 10.30pm on Saturday. "They were travelling at slow speeds, between 10 and 15mph, but they forced each other off the rails, buckling the line for about 40 to 50 yards," she said.

One of the two drivers was taken to hospital, suffering from minor bruising. "We have got a crane at the site and it has moved three of the six wagons," the spokeswoman said last night. "We are hoping that the line will be reopened at 6am on Monday morning, with all of the buckled track relaid."

A spokesman for Virgin Rail said the main line between Preston and Carlisle had been closed all day. "Services had been due to be suspended before 2pm anyway for the pre-planned improvements, but we were unable to reopen the line after that time," he said.

Some trains were diverted on to the Settle-Carlisle line but many northbound services were stopped at Preston, with passengers transferred on to buses. Southbound services were being stopped at Carlisle.

"These things can happen," the spokesman said, "but it is fortunate that this happened on Easter Sunday, which is one of the quietest days for long distance travel. We hope the services will be up and running when people start travelling home."

The improvements to the West Coast main line are already two years late and the line will have to be closed for four months later this year to speed up work.