Chaos for city rail passengers as severe weather conditions cause major disruption

Jun 29 2012

RAIL passengers in Glasgow and across Scotland endured nightmare journeys after torrential rain caused major disruption on both sides of the border.

Landslides in the Lake District and the Highlands caused delays and cancellations as downpours battered the country.

Some endured a 15-hour journey between London and Glasgow after their train was stranded following a landslide in the Lake District.

Susie Fraser, from Glasgow, told BBC Scotland she was stuck on a train for three hours, before abandoning it in Lancaster.

She said: "It was total chaos, there were some very upset children on that train. It is quite humid, obviously, there's lots of thunderstorms, so it was very uncomfortable.

Hundreds of passengers endured an 11-hour journey from Birmingham to Glasgow after a fire in the engine of their train forced an evacuation.

The 5.20pm Birmingham to Glasgow service, operated by Virgin Trains, had to stop near Moffat, in Dumfries and Galloway, at about 10.20pm yesterday.

The fire was isolated to the front of the train, and the passengers, around 500, were moved to the rear before an emergency evacuation took place.

The Double Voyager train, which comprises two trains, was then split in two and the passengers continued their journey to Glasgow in the rear train, whose engine was not affected.

They arrived in Glasgow at around 4am. Virgin said it was a "minor engine fire".

A spokeswoman for the company said: "Virgin Trains confirms that its 5.20pm Birmingham-Glasgow Central service had a fire in one of the front coaches of a double voyager.

"This happened between Lockerbie and Beattock. All customers were quickly moved to the rear of the train and everyone was evacuated safely."

There were no reports of any injuries.

Two landslides and a freight train derailment also caused disruption in the Highlands.

The 24-wagon train came off the tracks near Tulloch just after 7pm yesterday following a landslide, blocking the West Highland line between Crianlarich and Mallaig.

ScotRail's Caledonian sleeper service from Fort William to London Euston, which was due to run overnight, was cancelled and trains between Crianlarich and Mallaig were also suspended.

There was also a landslide between Garelochhead and Crianlarich.

The line was closed this morning.

Network Rail said engineers were at the site this morning but it is not known how long it will take to clear the landslip.

Further north, the Rail Accident Investigation Branch will have to investigate the derailment before they can clear the line,

Network Rail warned passengers to expect delays and disruption.

Hundreds of passengers continued to wait to board trains on the west coast line at Glasgow Central Station today. A queue stretched from platform one out into Gordon Street and round the corner along Hope Street.

Chris Robertson, 58, from Glasgow, was travelling to London to visit his grandchildren and, at 12.30pm, had been in the queue for around an hour.

"I realised it was going to happen because it was on the news last night. I'm just resigned to it. These things happen," he said.

Belle Gee, 24, was hoping to get home to London after visiting friends in Glasgow.

"I was hoping to travel on the 12.40 train and arrived here at 12. I didn't see the news beforehand so I didn't know about it. It's not urgent but I was hoping to get to London by 5pm, so I'm feeling a bit frustrated."