Repair work on a burst water main at Audenshaw in east Manchester has been completed.

Thousands of gallons of water flooded the railway between Fairfield and Ashburys stations after a pipe operated by water company United Utilities ruptured in the early hours of Thursday 2 September.

Since then Network Rail teams have been working around the clock to repair flood damage to more than three miles of track.

This includes fixing washed away mortar inside Bessemer Street railway bridge, some areas of track where sinkholes had appeared, and also repairs to electric signalling equipment which became submerged.


The railway has now reopened to passengers.

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."