Trains face major disruptions after tractor ploughs over West Yorkshire rail track

Andy Wells
·Freelance Writer
<em>A tractor caused chaos after damaging a rail line in Yorkshire (PA)</em>
A tractor caused chaos after damaging a rail line in Yorkshire (PA)

Commuters in West Yorkshire are faced with misery today after a tractor blocked rail tracks and damaged overhead wires.

The farmyard vehicle went on to the railway near Fitzwilliam, West Yorkshire, on Wednesday night.

Network Rail, the fire service and a specialist recovery service removed it from the line on Thursday morning but delays and cancellations were expected to continue until 6pm while infrastructure repairs took place.

<em>A large uprooted tree laid on top of the tractor (PA)</em>
A large uprooted tree laid on top of the tractor (PA)
<em>London North Eastern Railway said the vehicle ‘had broken the field boundary from a nearby farm’ (PA)</em>
London North Eastern Railway said the vehicle ‘had broken the field boundary from a nearby farm’ (PA)

Images of the scene show a large uprooted tree on top of the tractor.

London North Eastern Railway said the vehicle ‘has broken the field boundary from a nearby farm and caused the damage’.

British Transport Police said no injuries were reported and no arrests have been made, although the tractor driver will be interviewed ‘in due course’.

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NRE said: ‘The Network Rail, the fire service and a specialist recovery service have removed the tractor from the line. Network Rail are now undertaking repair work.

‘We currently expect all lines to be open and trains able to run as normal from 18:00.’

<em>Fire fighters get to work removing the tree and the tractor from the line (PA)</em>
Fire fighters get to work removing the tree and the tractor from the line (PA)

The affected services include:

  • CrossCountry between Leeds and Reading/Plymouth and between Glasgow Central and Birmingham New Street

  • London North Eastern Railway between Leeds and London King’s Cross

  • Northern between Leeds and Doncaster/Sheffield

East Midlands Trains between Leeds and London St Pancras International were initially affected but a normal service has resumed.