A key railway line in Greater Manchester has been forced to close after a car, reportedly driven by a suspected drink-driver, crashed onto the train tracks in Salford.
Dramatic images from the scene reveal the vehicle overturned on the tracks, surrounded by debris, causing severe disruption to train services between Manchester and Liverpool.
Network Rail has confirmed that the disruption is expected to persist until at least 10pm on Friday.
Driver Arrested After Salford Train Line Crash
Greater Manchester Police stated that the driver, a man in his 30s, has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving.
He was taken to hospital with serious injuries, though they are not deemed life-threatening. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, which occurred near the Regent Road roundabout.
Train Services Impacted Across the North West
The incident has severely affected services operated by Northern, TransPennine Express, and Transport for Wales, with no trains currently running on the Chat Moss line between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Piccadilly.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said: “In the early hours of this morning, a car crashed onto the railway near Regent Road roundabout in Salford, causing extensive damage to the railway infrastructure and overhead electric cables that power the trains.”
While the overturned BMW was removed from the tracks by midday, Network Rail engineers estimate that repairs to the damaged overhead lines will take at least eight hours, delaying the reopening of services until around 10pm.
Football Fans and Commuters Face Travel Chaos
The disruption has caused significant travel issues for commuters and is also likely to impact football fans heading to Old Trafford for the 8pm FA Cup tie between Manchester United and Leicester City.
Network Rail urged passengers to check their journey details before travelling. A spokesperson added:
“We sincerely apologise to all passengers affected by this incident and advise anyone travelling between Liverpool and Manchester to check with their train operator for the latest updates.”
Passengers are encouraged to plan ahead and seek alternative routes where possible as engineers work to restore normal service as soon as possible.
