Man charged after lorry crashes on to railway line, causing rail chaos

A man has been charged after a lorry came off a motorway and crashed on to a railway line in Dumfries and Galloway.

Train services between Glasgow Central and Carlisle via Dumfries were disrupted by the incident, which happened near Gretna just before 8am on Friday.

The lorry crashed into a railway line near Gretna after driving off a motorway | PA

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service sent four appliances and a specialist unit to the scene close to Junction 22 on the A74(M). An ambulance and a paramedic response unit were also sent to the incident.

Police Scotland said one man was taken to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary as a precaution.

He has been charged in connection with an alleged road traffic offence, the force said.

ScotRail said services between Glasgow Central and Carlisle via Dumfries were likely to be disrupted for the rest of the day.

Services to and from Glasgow will terminate and start back from Dumfries as stations between Dumfries and Carlisle cannot be served by train. Alternative buses were put in place.

Passengers make their way through Glasgow Central station. Picture: Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images | Getty Images

Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said on Friday morning: “ScotRail services between Glasgow Central and Carlisle via Dumfries are currently disrupted following an incident between Gretna and Carlisle.

“To keep people moving, customers with valid train tickets can travel on alternative routes where possible, with replacement buses also in operation.

“Anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more can claim compensation through our delay repay guarantee.”

ScotRail said customers could travel on Avanti West Coast and Transpennine Express services between Glasgow, Lockerbie and Carlisle.

Network Rail said West Coast Main Line services were not affected by the incident.

A statement said: "The West Coast Main Line (WCML) and Glasgow to Dumfries line were closed as a precaution until our teams arrived on site and investigations were carried out. Normal working resumed on WCML from 8:46am.

"Our teams remain on site and are supporting our partners to reopen the line as soon as it is safe to do so."

Traffic on the motorway was disrupted during some of the afternoon to allow for recovery of the lorry.

The A74(M) southbound near Gretna was reduced to one lane and the slip road for junction 22 closed for a time to allow for the recovery of the vehicle.

Police Scotland said: “The incident was reported around 8am. A man was taken to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary as a precaution.

“The man has been charged in connection with a road traffic offence. Motorists are thanked for their patience.”

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We received a call at 7.59am to attend an incident near Junction 22, on the M74, Gretna.

“We dispatched one ambulance and one paramedic response unit (PRU) to the scene. One patient was transported to Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary.”

A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: "Operations Control mobilised four appliances and special resources to the scene, where crews assisted emergency partners with the recovery of a lorry, which was affecting the railway line.

"One casualty was taken into the care of the Scottish Ambulance Service and transported to hospital. Crews remained at the scene until 9.56am to make sure the area was made safe."