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 Blue Mountains train line to re-open after landslides 

Blue Mountains train line to re-open after landslides

05 Feb, 2010 02:23 PM
Mountains commuters will be able to travel home by train with peak hour services set to be restored shortly.

A Transport Coordination Group spokeswoman said the clean up effort means trains will be allowed between Springwood and Katoomba for the first time since yesterday's landslides.

"The 3.50pm Blue Mountains train from the city will be the first for the day to travel the full length of the line, without the need to change to buses.

"Passengers travelling to the Lower Blue Mountains are expected to depart and arrive on time. However, passengers travelling through Lawson should allow an extra 15-20 minutes travel time for their journeys, as trains need to pass through that area at slower speeds while clean up work is finalised."

Those travelling from the Blue Mountains to Sydney are still being asked to catch buses between Katoomba and Springwood.

The announcement comes after a train derailment caused by one of three Mountains landslides saw train services shut down yesterday afternoon.

Police were this morning warning commuters and motorists travelling through the Mountains to expect delays of up to an hour.

Limited train services were left operating between Lithgow and Katoomba but commuters were urged to make their way to Springwood or Penrith stations.

The minor train derailment of the city-bound train between Linden and Woodford resulted in the closure of the railway line, according to police.

The driver of the four carriage train is understood to have seen debris on the track in advance and slowed down. Police said the front wheels of the train derailed, causing all services to be stopped between Springwood and Lithgow.

Approximately 200 passengers who were onboard the train were removed and walked off the tracks to nearby buses. Police reported no injuries.

Emergency services also responded about 4.30pm after a railway embankment collapsed at the bottom of Boddington Hill at Bullaburra, causing the shutdown of eastbound traffic and the westbound rail line..

Diversions were put in place while State Rail personnel and structural engineers examined the scene, with the area cleared by 7.50pm.

In a third incident, an underground gas line at Woodford was ruptured after it was hit by lightning.

As a result of the lightning strike there was a small fire and officers from the New South Wales Fire Brigades were called to the scene to deal with the gas leak. Police assisted with traffic diversions at the scene and one family residing in Railway Parade evacuated themselves as a precaution.

About 5.40pm another minor landslide caused problems at Mount Victoria where a railway embankment collapsed onto the Darling Causeway, affecting the southbound lanes of the road.

* Do you have any photos of Thursday's landslides? Send them to editorial.bmgazette@ruralpress.co m

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The scene at Bullaburra soon after a railway embankment collapse caused road and rail traffic to be shut down.
The scene at Bullaburra soon after a railway embankment collapse caused road and rail traffic to be shut down.
One of three landslides in the Blue Mountains yesterday caused the derailment of this city-bound train at Woodford.
One of three landslides in the Blue Mountains yesterday caused the derailment of this city-bound train at Woodford.

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