Train delays after fire melts signalling equipment and burns level crossing on East Coast Main Line

A wildfire has melted signalling equipment and damaged the tracks on the East Coast Main Line causing major disruption to services.

After yesterday's 40C temperatures, engineers from Network Rail are carrying out repairs to the railway line in Sandy, Bedfordshire, which is on the route between Peterborough and King’s Cross.The fire caused major damage to signalling equipment and a level crossing in the area, both of which need complex repairs.

Teams also need to inspect the track for damage after track temperatures reached 39.8C on Tuesday, the hottest recorded place on the East Coast Main Line.Network Rail has said that no trains will be able to run between Peterborough and King's Cross for the start of service today.

Anyone who is planning on using the East Coast Main Line is strongly advised to check before travelling.

Simon Pumphrey, Infrastructure Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “The heat has caused numerous challenges for the railway.

"Our teams remain on site to deal with the damage caused by the fire at Sandy.

"We’re working as hard as we can, but the complexity of the work means there will be severe disruption to trains on the East Coast Main Line tomorrow.“The incident has also disrupted our plans to manually inspect the route between Peterborough and King’s Cross for any other damage and carry out any repairs, so we'll be working today to do that.“We’re sorry if this impacts on your plans and we’re doing what we can to restart services as soon as possible.“In the meantime, please check before travelling via National Rail Enquiries or with your train operator."

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