Rail disruption at Rochdale

Photo: RS Greenwood

Rochdale train station

An excessive oil leak caused a train to be evacuated between Smithy Bridge and Littleborough this morning (Monday 23 January) after a small fire started on-board.

Services were not operating between the stations for approximately four hours. Replacement buses were in operation until around 3pm.

A spokesperson for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said: “We were on site for just over two hours due to a stop on the line on both lines between Smithy Bridge and Littleborough Railway Stations.

“The train was evacuated due to an excessive oil leak on the exhaust. The engine and fuel management system had been isolated.”

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “At 10:23 this morning we were alerted to a small fire on-board a Northern Rail service that had come to a stop between Littleborough and Smithy Bridge.

“All services from Hebden Bridge towards Manchester Victoria were stopped and passengers were evacuated from the train.

“The fire was extinguished and after an initial assessment the fire brigade advised the train should not be moved until an engineer had inspected it. At 12:21 the train was on the move again to Newton Heath which allowed the railway to be reopened.

“As a result, there may be knock-on delays so we’re advising travellers to check their journey before they travel.”