Railway safety and crime

Rochdale fire: Northern cancels services as 100 firefighters attend trackside blaze

A huge fire at a trackside industrial unit in Greater Manchester has caused mass delays on Northern Rail’s Leeds to Manchester services.

Around 100 firefighters and 12 pumps were called to the scene in the early hours of this morning but the fire has since been brought under control.

Northern has cancelled services running through Rochdale station, including its busy Leeds to Manchester trains and some services to Todmorden, although they are expected to restart about 12.00 and the operator has still been able to run between Manchester and Rochdale.

Local residents in nearby houses were evacuated by fire crews and, while there was a large amount of smoke discharged across the immediate area, there are no reports of injuries.

Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue area manager, Ben Levy, applauded the efforts of firefighters.

“Crews have worked tirelessly to bring the fire under control,” he said. “They worked quickly and efficiently to protect neighbouring properties because when we arrived there was a very real and immediate risk that the fire could spread to nearby houses.”

In a statement, a Northern spokesperson said they were “very sorry” for the delays caused to journeys but said it was “unsafe” to run trains along the route while the fire and smoke were still present.

Residents are still advised to stay away from the area and keep doors and windows closed.

Images: Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue

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