Railway services between Liverpool and Manchester have been disrupted following a car accident in Salford early in the morning. The car fell on to the railway tracks, causing significant damage to the railway infrastructure and overhead wires. The driver has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving and taken to hospital. His injuries are described as “serious but not life-threatening”. The authorities are not providing further details about the driver.
According to Network Rail, the line is expected to be closed for most of the day while specialist removal teams clear the badly damaged car from the tracks. All major railway operators’ services between Liverpool and Manchester have been disrupted. Rail replacement bus services have been arranged and National Rail advised passengers to use their ticket on rail replacement services running every half-hour until 12:30 GMT, between Newton-le-Willows and Manchester Victoria.
National Rail and Network Rail expressed regret over the incident and apologized to passengers for any inconvenience caused. The incident is expected to have significant repercussions on the ability for passengers, commuters and even freight lines to reach their destination for a considerable amount of time. Railway authorities are appealing to passengers to plan ahead and obtain the latest information from their train operators before traveling anywhere between Liverpool and Manchester today.
Train disruption on the network is not uncommon, but incidents where vehicles fall on to railway tracks are rare. Railway authorities have advised all motorists to take greater care when driving in the vicinity of train lines, highlighting that accidents can be fatal. The loss of life in such circumstances does not only impact those involved, but also their families, the authorities, commuters, and other users of the railway systems. The authorities will be keeping in touch with the public with respect to further updates
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