The Marston Vale line between Bletchley and Bedford, which had been closed for seven days because of flooding, was reopened this morning, Monday, 30th September.

Drainage on the line was overwhelmed when the area around Bletchley recorded over 170 mm of rainfall in just seven days.

Closure of the line became necessary when flooding affected signalling equipment on the track and the power supply for railway equipment and a number of level crossings on the line.

The prolonged and sustained rainfall made it harder than usual for Network Rail engineers to inspect the equipment.

Water levels have now dropped sufficiently that Network Rail engineers have been able to inspect and test the line’s equipment and return it safely into service.

Climate change seems to be the cause of the more extreme weather conditions being experienced in the UK.

Network Rail has an ongoing is commitment to protect the UK’s railway from flooding for the foreseeable future, and is taking steps to make the railway more robust and reliable for passengers.

Along the Marston Vale line between Bedford and Bletchley, Network Rail has a five-year investment programme in place that includes upgrading the drainage system and closing some of the level crossings that are susceptible to flooding from water running off the road and onto the railway.

Network Rail has a web page that explains how storms impact the railway and how Network Rail works to keep trains moving. The page can be seen by clicking here.

For the last year, services on the Marston Vale line have been beset by problems, with continuing failures of the trains previously operating services, with full services not resuming until February this year.

“I would like to thank passengers on the Marston Vale line for their patience and understanding over the past week as Network Rail engineers worked hard to quickly and safely reopen the line. I am pleased to confirm that we have fully reopened the track this morning which means that passengers can travel between Bletchley and Bedford.”

Gary Walsh, Network Rail West Coast South’s route director