Major rail route blocked by chemical spillage

A major train route was closed due to a chemical spillage.

National Rail Enquiries said the incident near Crewe, which is a key station on the West Coast Main Line, was reported at 5.51am on Wednesday.

The six affected operators were Avanti West Coast, CrossCountry, East Midlands Railway, London Northwestern Railway, Northern and Transport for Wales.

London Northwestern Railway told passengers that “due to a chemical spillage near Crewe”, lines were blocked and some services were subject to delay or cancellation.

At 7.34am, National Rail Enquiries said lines had reopened following a safety inspection of the track at Crewe.

Network Rail’s operations director for the North West route, Paul Owen, said: “We are working closely with emergency services and train operating companies following a minor incident involving a freight train.

“Our priority is to always get services back up and running safely to help passengers and freight users get where they need to go.

“While the network through the Crewe area has been restored, we’re urging people to check the latest travel information with their train operator or National Rail Enquiries.”