16.10.13
Second freight derailment reported
Days of delays are expected after a freight train derailed last night in Gloucester.
An empty container came off the wagon as the train was travelling on the Lydney-Gloucester line, but no-one was injured. Replacement bus services are currently running, with severe disruptions for passengers.
Emergency services were called around 8:45pm when the train derailed close to London Road, west of Gloucester station. The BTP and the RAIB are investigating.
A spokesman for Network Rail said: “Last night the rear wagon of a freight train came off the rails, and this will have an impact on train services running through town.
“They are still investigating the cause of the derailment and will assess the extent of damage to the track and also how best to move the train off the railway. If the track is damaged too badly, we will have to relay the track, but at the moment we are still waiting on the report.
“I’m not sure when the line will reopen, but it will definitely be close for the rest of today. It will be an expansive operation.”
It is the second derailment within 24 hours – another freight train had come off the tracks at Camden Road in north London on Monday.
RMT general secretary Bob Crow said the incidents were “deeply worrying”.
He said: “It appears that no-one was injured in either incident and that is nothing short of a miracle. RMT will play a full role in the investigations into both derailments but we will also be stepping up our campaign to halt the jobs and maintenance cuts on Britain’s railways that create the perfect conditions for exactly these kinds of accidents.”
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