In the early hours of Thursday, 2nd September, a water main burst at Audenshaw in east Manchester that caused severe disruption to trains.

After a pipe operated by the water company United Utilities ruptured, thousands of gallons of water flooded the railway line between Fairfield and Ashburys stations, affecting over three miles of track. Since then, Network Rail teams have worked around the clock to repair the flood damage, with the result that this afternoon, Monday, 6th September, the railway has reopened to passengers.

During the closure, engineers fixed mortar that had been washed away inside Bessemer Street railway bridge and in some areas of track where sinkholes had appeared. Electric signalling equipment that had become submerged also required repairs.

As there may be knock-on effects while services return to the normal timetable, intending passengers should check with National Rail Enquiries at www.nationalrail.co.uk before they travel for the latest travel information. Further updates can be obtained from the @NetworkRailMAN and @NationalRailEnq Twitter feeds.

Paul Owen, Network Rail’s North West route operations manager, said: “I’d like to thank passengers for their patience while we worked tirelessly to get the railway back up and running after it was damaged by the burst water main at Audenshaw. We’ll continue to support United Utilities as they work to repair their pipe beside our tracks over the coming days.

“With over three miles of track submerged by fast flowing water it was essential we inspected everything thoroughly and made the necessary repairs before we could reopen the line so trains could run safely again. Thankfully that’s now complete but I’d remind people to check National Rail Enquiries as there may still be knock-on delays today while trains return to the usual timetable.”