Chaos after Forth Bridge closure

More than 50 trains cancelled as man discovered on crossing

Fife endured a day of travel chaos after the rail line over the Forth Bridge was closed.

Emergency services were forced to shut the line at 10am after reports a man was on the bridge.

As trains backed up and services were cancelled, the track remained closed for around four hours, with further disruption for hours afterwards.

Travellers were forced to take replacement buses or long detours.

More than 50 trains were cancelled in the two hours between 11am and 1pm alone. Passengers who had started their journeys before the emergency were stranded on trains for several hours.

Negotiators eventually managed to remove the man, unharmed.

Meanwhile, a lorry shed its load of bales on the M90 in Kinross-shire, forcing the closure of the southbound lane.

A huge part of Scotland’s rail network was plunged into chaos yesterday after the Forth Bridge line was forced to close.

All trains between Inverkeithing and Dalmeny were stopped for around four hours after reports of a man on the bridge prompted emergency services to intervene.

Services between Aberdeen and London were halted, as well as Fife Circle services and those to and from Perth, Dundee and Angus as trains began to back up on the line.

Journeys from Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness were diverted through Stirling to get the network moving and at one point people travelling south from Perth and Dundee were advised to go via Glasgow.

Replacement buses operated between Inverkeithing and Edinburgh Gateway.

Passengers who had started their journeys before the emergency were stranded on trains for several hours.

The man was eventually persuaded to leave the bridge at around 2pm but travellers endured disruption on the railway for at least another three hours.

Dozens of trains were cancelled throughout the day, with more than 50 pulled in the two hours between 11am and 1pm alone.

Others were subjected to long delays. A Network Rail spokesman said trains were stopped as soon as staff were alerted to reports of a person on the line at 9.55am.

British Transport Police (BTP) and Police Scotland were called to North Queensferry to speak to the man, while the coastguard and ambulance services were on standby.

A BTP spokesman said later: “A man has since been removed from harm’s way and will be taken to a place of safety.”

ScotRail said it had been working closely with the emergency services.

They said it would take some time to restore normal services to the Fife Circle, Dundee, Arbroath, Inverness and Aberdeen.

Picture: Wullie Marr Photography This train was held on the bridge for two hours due to the chaos.