Railway line reopening date confirmed after fatal Bedford train crash

The trains involved in the crash have been recovered

Railway lines will reopen after a fatal train crash near Bedford. Network Rail said recovery and repair work at the site of the Bedford train have now been completed, and passenger services on the Midland Main Line will resume on Monday (June 29).

The crash between two East Midlands Railway trains happened near Bedford on Friday (June 19). Recovery involved removing the overhead line equipment, constructing a temporary access road and concrete foundation, and then using two cranes to lift the trains and carriages from the site.

Engineers subsequently carried out a full inspection and repair of the track, signalling, and overhead line equipment before completing safety checks. Passengers travelling on Saturday or Sunday (June 27 and 28) should check the EMR and Thameslink websites for the latest information ahead of Monday’s service timetable, Network Rail said.

Thameslink services will resume on Monday and there will be extra staff at stations along the route to help customers. Passenger services on the Midland Main Line will also resume on Monday.

Services will not run this weekend due to planned engineering works, which were scheduled before the crash. Rail replacement buses will continue to operate over the weekend between:

• Bedford and Luton;
• Luton and West Hampstead Thameslink;
• Hitchin and Luton Airport Parkway via Luton;
• Harpenden and Potters Bar via St Albans.

East Midlands Railway will be operating a full timetable on their Intercity route from Monday. Some journeys may still be subject to short-notice changes or cancellations, and customers are advised to check their journey before getting to the station.

Louis Rambaud, chief customer officer for GTR, which operates Thameslink, said: “The completion of the recovery work at Bedford is the result of a truly remarkable effort by Network Rail engineers and colleagues from across the industry, who have worked tirelessly and at extraordinary pace in very difficult circumstances.

“Our thoughts continue to be with Shaun Burton’s family, friends and colleagues, and with all those still recovering from the incident. The disruption of the past week will have had a real impact on our customers and I want to thank them sincerely for the patience and understanding they have shown.”

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.”