Tree falls on train line and catches fire forcing services to halt

A tree which is blocking a train line in Dumbarton has caught fire, causing disruption to services.

Services to Dumbarton East Station have been cancelled or delayed, said ScotRail, as Storm Gerrit affects public transport across Scotland.

A tree, which is blocking the route and coming in contact with overhead lines, caught fire with the line closed as emergency services work to remove the debris and extinguish the fire.

Network Rail informed passengers that power supply to the overheads was off as engineers worked to remove the tree, with some branches taken away from a damaged pantograph.

Scotland

Storm Gerrit causes travel chaos to roads, railway and ferry networks

The Met Office said the storm was named as a warning to people coming home from the Christmas holidays.

Network Rail

A spokesperson on X said: “We’re responding to a a tree on the line in the Dumbarton area. The tree is blocking the line and has caught fire, which is affecting overhead lines. The line is currently closed whilst we gain access to remove the tree and extinguish the fire.

“We’re working as quickly and as safely as possible to remove the tree from the line. Once removed, we will restore power to the line as quickly as possible, allowing services to resume.

“Teams have now removed the branches from the damaged pantograph, with efforts ongoing to remove the tree.”

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