Following the accident on the 31st of October, the rail industry has worked together to get the line clear and safe for trains to run again with repair works ending tomorrow.

The work carried out includes spending an entire day using their leaf-busting Rail Head Treatment Trains, which jet wash the track of any debris or leaf mulch.

In addition, test trains will be running on the new infrastructure and will ensure that everything is operating as it should before passenger services recommence on Tuesday morning.

The accident involved a South Western Railway (SWR) train and a Great Western Railway (GWR) train and has meant that the line has been blocked just outside of Fisherton Tunnel which is a merging point for trains from both London and Southampton making their way to Salisbury.

With the line being closed for 2 weeks now, SWR and GWR have enabled travel by using diversions or rail replacement services for passengers.

Network Rail has been working with both SWR and GWR to get the railway reopened and have so far craned our five damaged train carriages from the site which is sited in a cutting beneath the level of the surrounding area and close to London Road in Fisherton, Salisbury.

Around 1,500 sleepers that support the track between the rails are being replaced, along with three sets of points that allow the trains to move from one track to another.  1,000 Yards of new track is also being laid in the tunnel and signalling equipment and track circuits which provide vital information about where trains are, will be repaired, replaced and rigorously tested before the line re-opens.

In a bid to keep passengers travelling, buses are running from Salisbury to Andover for South Western Railway customers, and from Salisbury to Romsey for Great Western Railway with tickets also accepted on diversions via Reading.

London Road has been closed over the bridge and a minibus has been put in place to give transport for those living nearby that needed to get around the block. Two local meetings have also been held to make sure that the local community are kept up to date.

The preliminary findings from the RAIB into the incident show that low adhesion was almost certainly the cause.

Network Rail’s route director for Wessex, Mark Killick, said:

“I really appreciate how patient everyone has been with us over the past week and a half, from customers who have had their journeys disrupted, to our neighbours who have had cranes outside their houses, London Road closed for a period, and people working 24 hours a day to repair the railway right in the middle of their neighbourhood.

“That work is going to continue until Monday, as we finish replacing damaged equipment and making sure the railway is fit for action again.

“Our railway is one of the safest in the world and when a rare incident like this happens, we have to find out exactly what went wrong. That’s why we’re working closely with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, British Transport Police and Office of Rail and Road on their investigations and we will be transparent and open with everyone when we know more about exactly what caused this.”

Claire Mann, Managing Director of South Western Railway, said:

“This has been a difficult time for all those affected by last Sunday’s incident and I’d like to thank the Salisbury community, our customers and colleagues for all their help both on the night and over the last ten days.

“Many people rely on our services every day and I am sorry for the disruption this incident has caused and am grateful for their ongoing patience. We have worked tirelessly with Network Rail and our industry partners to reopen the railway and I look forward to welcoming customers back to our services on Tuesday”.

Mark Hopwood, Managing Director of Great Western Railway, said:

“Our staff have been overwhelmed by the support shown by customers and the community over the past ten days. The incident last Sunday was challenging for everyone involved, and we are grateful for everyone’s support and patience in the days and weeks since.

“The rail industry has put every effort into reopening the railway as soon as possible, and we’re looking forward to customers returning from 16 November.”

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