Railway to close for at least three days following crash involving train and tractor near Peterborough

The incident happened just outside March at about 9.10am yesterday at the Kisbeys user worked level crossing at Middle Road, March.

Thankfully, both the train driver and the tractor driver escaped serious injury in the incident, but three wagons were de-railed in the incident.

Network Rail have now confirmed the line will remain closed over the weekend.

A full programme of works is required before the line can be reopened safely which includes:

- Removing the derailed freight wagons

- Replacing damaged track

- Repairing signalling equipment

- Repairing the level crossing

The work is expected to take at least three days and with staff aiming to reopen the line early next week. Further timescales and information will be released as the work progresses.

Network Rail’s head of safety for Anglia, Richard Tew, said: “This was a very serious incident and we are working with The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) to fully understand the circumstances and why this happened. We are thankful that neither train or tractor driver are seriously hurt and we are thinking of them both as they recover from the incident.

“Our main aim now is to safely reopen the line and get passenger and freight services moving again as quickly as possible. We have a programme of works planned over the next few days and we ask that passengers bear with us while we carry out these repairs. We are sorry for the disruption this has caused.

“Passengers travelling between Ely and Peterborough are advised to check with their train operator or National Rail Enquiries for the latest information.”