Bedford train crash: Rail disruption to continue until 28 June
Key Points
- Disruption through Bedford is expected to last until Sunday 28 June.
- The line is closed between Bedford and Luton after a fatal collision on 19 June.
- No EMR services run between Bedford and London St Pancras.
- Thameslink runs north of St Pancras only as far as Luton.
- Rail replacement buses run between Bedford, Luton and Kettering.
- Passengers are told to travel only if their journey is essential.
Rail passengers travelling through Bedford have been told to expect disruption to train services until Sunday, 28 June, and to travel on the route only if their journey is essential.
The warning follows a collision between two East Midlands Railway (EMR) trains in the Bedford area on Friday, 19 June, in which an EMR driver died, and several passengers were injured.
The railway is expected to remain closed between Bedford and Luton for the rest of the week.
As a result, there are no Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) services north of Luton and no EMR services south of Bedford, with a limited rail replacement bus service running between Luton and Bedford. Journey planning apps and websites are being updated to reflect the changes, and passengers are advised to check live travel updates before setting out.
While the Midland Main Line remains closed at Bedford, train operators are accepting EMR tickets on alternative routes. Passengers whose journeys are affected can use their tickets on any alternative route, and connecting tickets held for travel once the line reopens will remain valid on the day of travel.
EMR services
No EMR services are running between Bedford and London St Pancras. Trains that usually start and terminate at London St Pancras start and terminate at Bedford instead.
From Monday, EMR is running a reduced service on its Intercity and Connect routes, while Regional services are unaffected.
EMR Intercity and Connect services are operating one train per hour in each direction: between Sheffield and Bedford, calling at Chesterfield, Derby, Long Eaton, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Leicester, Market Harborough, Kettering and Bedford; between Nottingham and Bedford, calling at Beeston, East Midlands Parkway, Loughborough, Leicester, Market Harborough, Kettering, Wellingborough and Bedford; and between Corby and Kettering.
Rail replacement buses are running once an hour between Kettering and Luton, and once an hour between Kettering and Luton Airport Parkway, calling at Wellingborough, Bedford,d and Luton.
EMR Luton Airport Express services are suspended while the recovery operation continues.
Passengers travelling between Luton Airport Parkway and London St Pancras can use their tickets at no extra cost on Thameslink services.
Those travelling between Luton Airport Parkway and stations to or from the north can use rail replacement buses between Luton Airport Parkway and Luton, Bedfo, rd or Kettering, with connections at Bedford and Kettering for services towards Sheffield or Nottingham.
Thameslink and Great Northern services
From Monday, Thameslink is running a limited service north of London St Pancras as far as Luton only. Thameslink and Great Northern have ticket acceptance in place for EMR customers. There are no trains between Bedford and Luton, with only limited rail replacement buses.
Elsewhere, north of London, St Pancras, Thameslink is running four trains an hour to and from Luton during peak hours and two an hour off-peak, and eight trains an hour between London and St Albans during peak hours and six an hour off-peak.
Rail replacement buses run between Bedford and Luton Airport Parkway calling at Luton every 30 minutes, and between Bedford and Luton calling at Flitwick, Harlington, and Leagrave every 15 minutes in the peak and every 30 minutes off-peak. GTR has additional staff at key stations along the route.
Recovery operation
A recovery operation has begun to remove the damaged trains and carriages from the railway before engineers assess the damage and carry out repairs. The overhead line equipment that powers electric trains must be removed while a temporary access road and concrete foundation are built to support a crane.
Two 110-tonne rail-mounted Kirow cranes will lift the trains and carriages from the site, before a road-mounted crane moves them onto a low loader to be taken away by road. Engineers will then assess the track and carry out repairs before reinstating the overhead lines and completing safety checks ahead of reopening.
Network Rail said that while investigations remain at an early stage, current indications are that the collision was an isolated incident.
