Train disruption at Peterborough set to last until weekend following incident at Stevenage

Disruption on some train services travelling to and from Peterborough is set to last until Saturday night.

National Rail Enquiries said the problems, which impact Great Northern and Thameslink services, were caused on Tuesday.

Overhead wires were damaged near Stevenage, which caused major issues for commuters travelling between Peterborough and London.While most trains are now running to time table, there is still some disruption.

National Rail Enquiries said: “Earlier this week, the overhead wires were damaged in the Stevenage area. Most trains can now run, but one of the two northbound lines from Knebworth towards Stevenage is closed, as well as Platform 5 at “Stevenage station. Due to this, some changes are necessary for Great Northern services in the area.

“Extensive repairs will be needed, and these will now be undertaken by Network Rail this weekend.”

To do this essential work safely, Network Rail will need to close a section of the railway along the East Coast Main Line at Stevenage. This means that some late night and early morning services will be cancelled.

Sarah Reid, East Coast Route Director for Network Rail, said: “We’re very sorry for the impact this incident has had on passengers travelling through Stevenage, and I’d like to thank people for their ongoing patience.

“Some lines have reopened following damage to the overhead wires on Tuesday evening, but further repairs are needed before trains can run normally again. Our teams are focused on completing this essential work over the weekend. In the meantime, passengers should check before they travel with National Rail or their train operator’s website.”

Overhead electric wires are vital pieces of equipment used to power electric and bi-mode trains. They carry 25,000 volts of electricity and are always on.

Work to fix the overhead wires will now take place overnight from Saturday night into Sunday morning.

The routes affected are Great Northern between Moorgate and Stevenage and also between London Kings Cross and Peterborough / Ely / Kings Lynn, and Thameslink between Brighton / London Kings Cross and Cambridge and also between Horsham / Three Bridges and Peterborough.

Residents are being urged to check services before they set off to travel.

For more information, visit https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/today.aspx