Major train line blocked after car crashed on to tracks
The vehicle came to a rest upside down on a line in Salford, Greater Manchester, affecting services to Liverpool.
A major railway line is closed after a car driven by a suspected drunk-driver crashed on to train tracks.
Images from the scene show the vehicle came to a rest upside down and surrounded by debris on tracks in Salford, Greater Manchester, causing major disruption to train services between Manchester and Liverpool on Friday morning.
Greater Manchester Police said the driver of the car, a man in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.
He was taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.
No other vehicles were involved in the incident, which happened on Regent Road Roundabout.
Rail services operated by Northern, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales are affected.
Train information website National Rail Enquiries warned that disruption is expected to continue until the end of Friday.
A Network Rail spokesperson said: “In the early hours of this morning, a car crashed on to the railway near Regents Road Roundabout in Salford causing significant damage to the railway and overhead electric cables that provide power to trains.
“As a result of this incident, no trains are able to run on the Chat Moss line between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly, impacting Transport for Wales, TransPennine Express and Northern train services.
“There has been significant damage to the overhead lines which will take at least eight hours to repair once the site has been cleared.
“We anticipate the earliest possible time the lines can reopen is 10pm on Friday.
“We would ask passengers traveling to the Manchester United game tonight to check before they travel.”
