Lines reopened: major disruption between Bedford and Kettering until the end of the day 

Route(s) affected

Between London St Pancras International and Corby / Nottingham / Sheffield

Description

The emergency services have completed their work following an earlier incident where a person was hit by a train. This has allowed all lines between Bedford and Kettering to reopen. Whilst service recovers, trains may still be delayed by up to 60 minutes, revised or cancelled.

Major disruption is expected until the end of the day.

If you've been affected by what happened on the network today, there is always someone to talk to. You can contact the Samaritans on 116 123 from any phone for a confidential chat.

Customer advice:

A person has been hit by a train. This has occurred between Wellingborough and Kettering and is disrupting trains on the London St Pancras International / Nottingham / Sheffield and London St Pancras International / Luton Airport Parkway / Corby routes.

Emergency services are still on site managing the incident.

Network Rail have confirmed services can now begin to run, however, they will be running on a reduced number of tracks. This will continue to cause delays and alterations to East Midlands Railway services.

How does this affect my train?

Trains running through the area between Kettering and Wellingborough in both directions can now run, but with heavy delays.

East Midlands Railway do not expect their advertised timetable to run for the remainder of the evening.

How do I get where I need to be?

You should continue to travel as originally planned however your journey may be delayed by 60 minutes.

East Midlands Railway are currently looking at alternative arrangements to keep you on the move. Please remember that this can take time and be assured that the team are working tirelessly to arrange this as quickly as possible for you.

East Midlands Railway have relaxed some of the usual ticket restrictions. If you hold an ‘Advance Ticket’ which is usually valid on a specific train you may use it to travel on any East Midlands Railway trains on this route.

If you have an ‘Off Peak’ or ‘Super Off Peak’ ticket you may use it on board Peak Time trains on this route today.

East Midlands Railway trains are likely to experience extended delays or alterations. You should use alternative routes which will be most comfortable and the quickest way to get where you need to be. Your ticket can be used at no extra cost to travel via the following alternative routes:

Sheffield

You may travel to Doncaster with Cross Country, TransPennine Express or Northern where you should change for a train to London Kings Cross. It is likely to take between 2 and 2.5 hours to complete this journey. LNER, who run the trains between Doncaster and London Kings Cross recommend booking a seat reservation. This can be done up to 5 minutes before the train departs Visit East Midlands Railway for lots of useful information about what to expect when travelling via London Kings Cross.

Derby / Chesterfield

You may travel to Birmingham New Street with Cross Country where you should change for a train to London Euston with London Northwestern Railway or Avanti. It is likely to take between 2.5 and 3 hours to complete this journey. Visit East Midlands Railway for lots of useful information about what to expect when travelling via London Euston.

Nottingham

You may travel to Grantham with East Midlands Railway where you should change for a train to London Kings Cross. It is likely to take between 2 and 2.5 hours to complete this journey. LNER, who run the trains between Grantham and London Kings Cross recommend booking a seat reservation. This can be done up to 5 minutes before the train departs. Visit East Midlands Railway for lots of useful information about what to expect when travelling via London Kings Cross.

Leicester

You may travel to Nuneaton with Cross Country where you should change for a train to London Euston with Avanti or London Northwestern Railway. It is likely to take 2 hours to complete this journey. Visit East Midlands Railway for lots of useful information about what to expect when travelling via London Euston.

You may travel on trains from London Euston with London Northwestern Railway towards Milton Keynes where you can make connections towards Bedford and onward. Please allow 2 hours to complete this journey.

London Underground
You may travel on the London Underground. Although, please be aware there is some disruption on certain lines so you may be delayed.

Peterborough
You may travel from London Kings Cross towards Peterborough. It is likely to take 1.5 hours to complete this journey.

These arrangements will remain in place until the line re-opens and the train service recovers.

All of these alternative route options are available in the opposite direction too. Don’t worry about your ticket, other train operators know about the disruption to your journey and your ticket can be used at no extra cost on their trains.

East Midlands Railway promise that if you need to start your outward journey from a different operator's station due to this disruption, then you will also be able to travel back to that station when you return, regardless of if the disruption has ended or your ticket type. Staff will welcome you on board with your original ticket.

Rail replacement services:

A replacement bus service is running in both directions between Kettering and Corby. This bus is due to arrive at Kettering by 20:50.

A replacement bus service is running in both directions between Bedford and Kettering (going via Wellingborough). This bus is due to arrive at 20:50.

The above replacement bus services will shuttle between Kettering, Bedford and Corby until the line reopens.

Additional information:

As it is late in the day the number of connecting trains are limited. If you have already started your journey East Midlands Railway will make every effort to get you to your destination by rail. If not, East Midlands Railway will make alternative arrangements for you. Please speak to a member of their team if you are concerned about your connecting journey.

If you need advice on how to complete your journey please speak to a member of station staff, use the help points or you can contact East Midlands Railway on X @EastMidRailway or on Facebook (East Midlands Railway). You can also call their team on 03457125 678 option 4.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.

For helpful advice if you need to travel on a rail replacement service, including accessibility and bicycle information, please use our Rail Replacement Services page.

You can find the pick-up and set-down location of rail replacement services by checking station signage or by searching for your station on our Find a Station page.

Please be advised that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and you should allow extra time for your journey.

Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.