At around 02:45am yesterday (11 Nov), a freight service carrying cement derailed at the north end of Sheffield station whilst on route from Hope to Dewsbury.
Network Rail worked through the night and all day yesterday, and will remain so until the issue is fixed. Investigators from the Rail Accident and Investigation Brand (RAIB) have also been on the scene and are working to discover the cause of the derailment.
The incident has caused substantial damage to both the tracks and the signalling system and extensive repairs need to take place. However, before these repairs take place, the derailed train needs to be removed.
Throughout today (12 Nov), only three of the eight platforms at Sheffield station will be available for use, which means that there has been major disruption to Northern, TransPennine Express, CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway services.
Two more platforms are due to reopen today and, whilst this will reduce disruption, there will still be changes to services, especially Northern and East Midlands Railway routes. Both CrossCountry and TransPennine Express are expecting to be able to run a full service today.
Passengers who intend to travel to, from or on routes through Sheffield are urged to check before travelling.
Motorists are also warned to expect disruption as the A61 in Sheffield, which runs in front of Sheffield station, will partially close to allow cranes, which are needed to move the derailed train, to be stabled there. A clearly signposted diversion route will be in operation.
Matt Rice, Route Director for Network Rail’s North and East Route, said: “This is a significant incident, so it’s only right that we take time to find out all of the facts and understand what has caused this.
“Once it is safe to do so, we will start work to remove the train, better assess the extent of the damage and make a plan for repairs.
“This process is taking some time and we are sorry for the disruption which this is causing. There will still be service changes tomorrow and over the coming days. We urge anyone planning to travel to, from or via Sheffield to check before travelling.”
Images: Network Rail
