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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
National
Tom Duffy

Work continues to remove smashed train from tracks after crash

Works continue to remove parts of a train that crashed at Kirkby station on Saturday evening.

A Merseyrail service ran through the buffer stop and left the tracks at around 6.35pm.

The train, carrying 12 passengers and two crew members, smashed into the platform, and surrounding walls. No passengers here hurt.

The impact, which happened when the train collided with a buffer stop, caused a significant amount of damage at the station.

Network Rail has been overseeing work to remove the train and repair the damage at the station. A spokesman said that they hoped that Northern services might resume from Monday and that the Merseyrail service might be back to normal by the middle of next week.

The front carriage which ran through the buffer stop is taking longer to extricate than planned and a specialist recovery locomotive is being used.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has said a full report with safety recommendations would be produced if any failures were identified from the weekend's accident.

The driver of the 6.35pm service, who was taken to hospital as a precaution, was uninjured in the crash.

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Phil James, route director for Network Rail’s north west route, said: “Following Saturday’s incident in Kirkby, we’re working with Merseyrail and Northern to reopen the station as quickly as possible to passengers.

“This is complex recovery and repair job and I’d like to thank passengers for their patience. I'd urge anyone who needs to travel to or from Kirkby to check with their train operator for the latest information.”

Andy Heath, managing director at Merseyrail, said: “We are working closely with our partners at Network Rail to reopen Kirkby station as soon as possible following Saturday evening’s incident and understand the inconvenience this has placed on our passengers.

“I would like to remind passengers that if they wish to travel to Fazakerley or Kirkby they should board Ormskirk services to Aintree where a rail replacement bus service is in operation calling at Fazakerley and Kirkby stations.”

Chris Jackson, regional director at Northern, said: “We’re working closely with colleagues across the rail industry to keep our customers on the move and we’re grateful to Network Rail for their efforts in helping to reopen Kirkby as soon as possible.

“In the meantime, our customers can continue to travel between Kirkby and Wigan, though we are operating buses between Kirkby and Rainford while the repair work is carried out.”

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