Work to repair the Furness train line in South Cumbria is on track, rail bosses say.
The line between Lancaster and Barrow has been closed since a train derailed on March 22 in Grange-over-Sands.
Now, Network Rail said engineers have successfully repaired the embankment and the next step was to relay the ballast (railway stones) and track before services can run again.
The derailment involved a Northern train coming off the tracks. Four members of staff and four passengers had to be evacuated.
A void in the ground was found around 150m away from the train and the incident is being looked at by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
The team have been working around the clock to repair the damage as efficiently as possible, Network Rail said.
A specialist crane was brought in to rerail and remove the train from the site of the derailment.
Phil James, North West route director, said: “I’m grateful to the people of Cumbria for their patience whilst we carry out this complex investigation and recovery of the railway in Grange-over-Sands following the recent derailment of a Northern train.
“Our engineers are working tirelessly to repair and reopen the railway. We are doing everything we can to get trains on the move between Lancaster and Barrow-in-Furness as soon as possible.”
Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern in the North West, said: “This is an important milestone in the significant infrastructure repair work that was needed in order for our services to safely resume. We look forward to Network Rail reopening the line so that we can operate through rail services and re-connect our customers with the rest of our network.”
South Lakes MP Tim Farron has paid tribute to the Network Rail engineers.
He said: “It’s a massive relief that trains will be back running on the Furness Line next week.
“I am enormously grateful to the phenomenal engineers who have been working round the clock to fix the track and get the line back open.
“This accident could have been so much more serious than it was. The investigation into how the train came off the track could take 12 months.
“Therefore it’s of critical important that Network Rail use state of the art digital imaging technology along the stretch from the viaduct to Kent’s Bank to ensure that there are no other invisible voids beneath the track, so that passengers and staff can travel in confidence.”
