'Drink-driver' causes mayhem after smashing through railway bridge onto tracks

A major railway line had to close causing travel chaos across the north west after a car driven by a suspected drink-driver crashed through a concrete wall and plunged onto a track.

The car came to a rest upside down and surrounded by debris on tracks in Salford, Greater Manchester, causing major disruption to train services between Manchester and Liverpool on Friday morning (February 7). Network Rail engineers reported 'significant damage to the railway and overhead electric cables that provide power to trains'.

Greater Manchester Police said the driver of the car, a man in his 30s, was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving. He was taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-changing or life-threatening.

No other vehicles were involved in the incident, which happened on Regent Road Roundabout at 2am today (Friday). Engineers were scrambled to the scene and wreckage was eventually cleared from the track shortly before noon.

However, disruption to rail travel continued for the rest of the day. All railway lines between Newton-le-Willows and Manchester were following the crash, which also affected trains between Wigan North Western and Manchester. Score of services were cancelled.

Rail services operated by Northern, TransPennine Express and Transport for Wales were affected. Train information website National Rail Enquiries warned that disruption was expected to continue until the end of Friday.

A GMP spokesperson said: "GMP responded to a collision on Regent Road in Salford this morning at around 2am (Friday, February 7 2025), following reports of a road traffic collision involving one car on the railway line near Regent Road roundabout in Salford. Emergency service colleagues attended and one man in his 30s