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Damaged rail mainline to reopen Services resume on damaged line
(about 4 hours later)
A section of the West Coast railway line is expected to reopen later after the removal of containers which fell onto tracks in strong winds. Services are resuming on the West Coast Main Line after the removal of containers which fell onto tracks in strong winds.
Replacement bus services have been operating for a second day between Glasgow and Lancaster since the accident at Shap, Cumbria. Five containers, weighing up to four tonnes each, were blown onto tracks at Shap in Cumbria on Saturday.
Network Rail expects the line to reopen at 0630 GMT following repair work. Network Rail said the affected stretch was cleared and reopened on Monday morning, signalling the resumption of passenger and freight services.
The line in Buckinghamshire, where more freight landed on the track, has been cleared and reopened. Virgin Trains has promised compensation for those passengers affected.
Virgin Trains and First TransPennine Express customers have been advised not to travel on Sunday unless their journeys were essential. A Network Rail spokesman said staff had worked "flat out" to clear the line at Shap.
Long incline Sea level
The five containers, weighing up to four tonnes each were removed from the track at Shap overnight. A spokesman for Virgin Trains said: "This was an exceptional event, but everyone concerned has worked hard to get services back to normal."
A Network Rail spokesman said: "Work is still going onto repair damage to track, overhead cables, signal equipment and line side equipment. The company said tickets bought for services on Sunday will still be valid.
"The damage is reasonably straight forward and the line should not be closed beyond 6.30am tomorrow." The accident happened during the early hours of Saturday as a Freightliner train travelled up the Shap incline, one of the longest hills on a main railway line in the country.
Virgin Trains expects to offer a normal service across the whole network on Monday and tickets bought for services on Sunday will still be valid.
The accident happened during the early hours of Saturday as the Freightliner train travelled up the Shap incline, one of the longest hills on a main railway line in the country.
The train would have been about 1,000ft (305m) above sea level when caught by the wind.The train would have been about 1,000ft (305m) above sea level when caught by the wind.
The damage caused by the containers, which were empty, was significant.The damage caused by the containers, which were empty, was significant.
The Met Office recorded gusts of winds of up to 66mph in the area and said a funnelling effect could have meant the gusts were stronger.The Met Office recorded gusts of winds of up to 66mph in the area and said a funnelling effect could have meant the gusts were stronger.
Cranes at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk were damaged and several people injured when they were hit by falling trees or parts of buildings during a night of strong winds across the country.Cranes at the Port of Felixstowe in Suffolk were damaged and several people injured when they were hit by falling trees or parts of buildings during a night of strong winds across the country.