Network Rail has announced that engineers have now completed the recovery operation following the recent collision between two East Midlands Railway trains near Bedford on Friday 19 June.
The operation involved the removal of overhead line equipment and the construction of both a temporary access road and concrete foundation, as well as the use of two 110-tonne rail-mounted Kirow cranes to lift the trains and carriages from the site.
Engineers were then required to carry out a full inspection and repair of the track, signalling and overhead line equipment before completing all final safety checks.
EMR has stated that its full Intercity timetable will restart today (Monday 29 June), with some journeys potentially subject to short-notice changes or cancellations as they restart services following an extended period of closure.
Extra staff will be on hand at key stations along the Thameslink route to both help and support customers with their journeys.
Mark Budden, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail, said:This has been a complex and challenging recovery operation, and I’d like to thank our engineers and colleagues across the railway for the professionalism, skill, and dedication they’ve shown in safely completing the work as quickly as possible to get passengers moving again.
Our thoughts remain with everyone affected by the incident, including driver Shaun Burton’s loved ones, and those still recovering.
With repairs now complete, we will be able to reopen the Midland Main Line on Monday. We understand the disruption that this closure has caused, and we’re grateful to passengers for their patience while we carried out this essential work.
This week’s extreme heat has also presented additional challenges for the railway, so, we’re asking passengers to only travel today if their journey is absolutely necessary and to plan ahead, check the latest information, and take care in the hot conditions
