THAMESLINK trains are running through central London again today following the removal of floodwater from the Clerkenwell tunnels.
Network Rail gave the green light to operator Govia Thameslink after pumping half a million litres of water out of the tunnel, between Farringdon and St Pancras International.
The problems began on Friday when a water main ruptured, but Thames Water engineers did not succeed in repairing the damage until Sunday, by which time the double track railway was flooded to the depth of a metre. Matters were made worse by a continual flow of water into the tunnel from ground nearby which had become saturated.
Stuart Cheshire, passenger service director for Thameslink, said: “After four days of disruption we’re pleased to confirm that we will be able to operate to our normal timetable. This has been incredibly frustrating for everyone and I would like to thank our passengers for their patience as well as railway staff for all their hard work.”
Phil Verster, managing director London North East and East Midlands at Network Rail, added: “We have had engineers on site since the weekend, working tirelessly and continuously, to pump out over 500,000 litres of water from the Clerkenwell tunnels following the failure of Thames Water's main."