Midland Main Line reopening brings EMR timetable back

Midland Main Line reopening is moving ahead after Network Rail completed the recovery work required following the collision between two East Midlands Railway trains near Bedford on Friday 19 June.

Midland Main Line reopening after Bedford collision

The recovery programme⁠ included removing overhead line equipment and building both a temporary access road and a concrete foundation. Two 110-tonne rail-mounted Kirow cranes were also used to lift the trains and carriages from the site.

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After the rolling stock was removed, engineers carried out a full inspection of the infrastructure. Repairs were then made to the track, signalling and overhead line equipment before the final safety checks were completed.

East Midlands Railway timetable resumes

East Midlands Railway said its full Intercity timetable⁠ will restart on Monday 29 June. However, some journeys may still be changed or cancelled at short notice as services resume after the extended closure.

Additional staff will be available at key stations along the Thameslink route to help passengers with their journeys.

What is known about rail services?

The collision happened near Elstow, about 2.5 miles south of Bedford station, and involved the 16:40 East Midlands Railway service from Corby to London St Pancras and the 15:50 service from Nottingham to London St Pancras. Network Rail and EMR said passenger services on the Midland Main Line would resume on Monday 29 June, while weekend services on 27 and 28 June were not due to run because of planned engineering works scheduled before the incident. RAIB’s independent safety investigation is continuing, with data recorders, CCTV, signalling data and radio communications already recovered.

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”