Tragic incident on tracks causes major disruption in Ashton-under-Lyne

A tragic incident on the railway tracks at Ashton-under-Lyne sparked a large emergency response yesterday evening (6 November).

Police and ambulance crews raced to the scene shortly after 5pm following reports of a casualty on the line. British Transport Police confirmed that officers attended alongside paramedics, but sadly, a person was pronounced dead at the scene.

A spokesperson for the British Transport Police said: “Officers were called at around 5pm yesterday (6 November) to reports of a casualty on the tracks at Ashton-under-Lyne railway station.

“Officers responded with paramedics, but sadly a person was pronounced dead at the scene. The death is not being treated as suspicious, and a file will be prepared for the coroner.”

The incident caused widespread disruption across the rail network, with services heavily affected throughout the evening. Trains were cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes, or revised as emergency services worked at the site.

Northern Rail confirmed that its services between Southport, Wigan Northwestern and Stalybridge were among those impacted. TransPennine Express services were also affected on routes between Liverpool Lime Street and Hull, Newcastle, and between Manchester Airport and Redcar Central, Saltburn, as well as between Manchester Victoria and Scarborough.

Rail services gradually resumed later in the evening, though passengers were advised to check before travelling as delays continued into the night.