ENGINEERS are clearing rubble from the railway line after a vehicle struck a bridge near Melksham.

A Great Western Railway service on its way from Chippenham to Warminster hit the stones at around 7.20pm, damaging the front of the train.

Network Rail hopes to have the line reopened by the morning rush hour. A damaged wall by the steel bridge is being rebuilt.

'Panic'

Passengers on the Warminster-bound service spoke of their shock at feeling the train "steer off the tracks".

Tracey Hannam, who joined the train at Chippenham, said: “I felt the train steer off the tracks.

“There was a really loud noise like the train was going to go over.

“A lot of us in our carriage held on to something and put our heads down.

“You just start panicking because you think the worst is going to happen.

“I’ve been travelling this route for six years and nothing like this has ever happened.”

Tracey works for the RSPCA in Chippenham and was travelling home to Trowbridge. She added: “It was very scary. I usually get an earlier train home from work but I stayed late today.

“I immediately phoned my sister who’s a nurse.

“It could have been so much worse. I’m so glad it wasn’t.”

Wiltshire Times:

Damage to the front of the train Picture: ELLY ROBERTS

Business student Callum Aylesbury who was travelling back from Nottingham to see his family in Trowbridge said: “I just thought we were going to go straight over. When it made all that noise I looked up wondering what was going on.

“It was just confusion in my carriage. No one had a clue what was going on.

“This was the first time I’ve come home on this route. There were two trains I could have taken 5 minutes apart. One via Bristol or this one.

“I won’t be coming back this way”

Bridge strike

A spokesman for Network Rail said a vehicle had hit part of the wall on Dunch Lane bridge, knocking rubble onto the railway line.

The 5.50pm Great Western Railway service from Gloucester to Warminster struck the fallen stones at around 7.20pm, damaging the front of the train.

It made it into Melksham railway station, a few hundred metres away, where the service terminated.

Network Rail crews were clearing the track and rebuilding the wall. Both the track and Dunch Lane are currently closed.

It is expected the railway line will be open by tomorrow morning.