Fire forces east coast main line to close

A FIRE forced the closure of one of Britain’s major rail routes yesterday, disrupting train services for hundreds of passengers.

The fire happened near Peterborough and forced the cancellation of four trains and delayed another 12 for up to 80 minutes.

Other trains on the East Coast Mainline made additional stops to compensate for the delays.

An East Coast spokesman said: “A number of East Coast train services were delayed or cancelled due to a line side fire near Peterborough station. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

“A total of four services were cancelled and 12 more experienced delays of up to 80 minutes.

“Passengers are advised to visit the East Coast website for details of our delay repay policy and we apologise for any inconvenience caused.”

Peterborough is a major stop on the East Coast Mainline, with trains running from Glasgow and Edinburgh through Leeds to London.

Initial suspicions that the hot weather could have played a part in starting the fire were dismissed by Network Rail who said a lit cigarette butt could have been to blame.

“Solid wood planks do not spontaneously combust due to sunshine,” a spokesman said.

The line was closed at 4.04pm and re-opened at 4.49pm. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue said one engine attended the scene, near Nene bridge, and put out a “small” fire.