Mayhem on road and rail as gales and rain combine

Jan 22 2008 by Laura Sharpe, Liverpool Daily Post

A LANDSLIP disrupted rail travel during yesterday’s heavy rain.

Services on Merseyrail’s North-ern Line were dis-rupted as an em-bankment mudslide closed the track near Town Green Station.

It reached track height but didn’t cross the raised track. It was seen by a driver at 10.30am who was given permission to pass before the section was closed for inspection.

Network Rail were informed and the line was closed between Town Green and Orm-skirk from 11.45am to 3pm.

A replacement bus service was in operation between Town Green and Ormskirk with all trains terminating at Town Green.

The service resumed with a speed limit in place around the affected stretch of track.

A Merseyrail spokesman said heavy, prolonged rain was the likely cause.

Commuters into Liverpool faced delays and one passenger complained his journey took twice as long.

Later in the day, fears that high winds could dislodge steel at a building site in Bootle caused another section of the Northern Line to be closed for two hours later yesterday afternoon.

A Merseyside Police officer raised the alarm at 5.25pm after walking past the site, on Washington Parade, Bootle.

There were concerns that steel girders from the 13-storey skeleton structure could be blown on to the rail line below.

Buses and cars were also stopped from driving down Strand Road and Washington Parade because of danger posed to road traffic.

A spokesperson for Merseyside Police said: “It’s not collapsed yet, but there are concerns that it will.

“The new building site is swaying in the wind.

“There are gusts of up to 50 knots.”

A mobile operations manager from Network Rail was sent to the scene to assess the risk.

After an investigation, there was found to be no threat to trains or road traffic and normal service was resumed.

A spokesman for British Transport Police confirmed the worries.

He said: “A Network Rail manager made the decision to reopen the line on behalf of the rail side.”

The Northern Line was suspended between Oriel Road and Seaforth & Litherland.

The line was re-opened shortly after 7.20pm.

Heavy rain in Merseyside also affected roads with localised flooding closing roads.

Balmoral Drive in Southport, Liverpool Road in Lydiate, and Runnells Lane, in Thornton, were all closed late afternoon.

The East Lancashire Road at Croxteth and Wango Lane, in Aintree, were also affected by heavy rain.