Fire closes rail line

One of the UK's most important rail lines is back open after a closure because of fears nearby gas cylinders would explode.

The cylinders were involved in a fire at a pallet yard close to the East Coast Main Line at Welham Green near Hatfield.  The fire started just after 10pm on Friday 14 January 2011.

As a security precaution, a 200m exclusion zone was set up, and this meant no trains could run on the rail line next to the site of the fire.  First Capital Connect - one of the train operators who use the route - say they had to put on replacement buses to help late travellers get to their destinations.  These included people hoping to get from London to places like Potters Bar and Stevenage.

The gas cylinders did explode overnight on Friday, but there are as yet no reports of damage.  The fire was dealt with by 5am on Saturday 15 January 2011, and the East Coast Main Line was able to reopen.

No details have as yet been released about the cause of the fire.