Salisbury railway line shut overnight due to gas main leak

"Work is ongoing to bring this incident to a close as quickly as possible," said DWFRS

A railway line will be closed overnight due to a gas main leak.

Earlier, an 80-metre cordon was placed around a site off London Road in Salisbury, Wiltshire, after a gas pipe is believed to have ruptured.

The exclusion zone has now been reduced, and people evacuated from nearby commercial and residential premises able to return.

However, the train line remains inside the cordon and will be shut through Salisbury until Thursday morning.

South Western Railway (SWR) explained the line had been closed between Andover and Salisbury, and cancellations and delays were expected.

Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service (DWFRS) was advised of the leak at 16:12 BST on Wednesday, a spokesperson said.

Three fire crews attended the scene, and those evacuated moved to a rest centre.

London Road was closed between the A30/A338 roundabout and the Hampton Park roundabout, but has now reopened.

People were asked to avoid London Road in Salisbury while the fire service dealt with the incident

In a statement, the service said: "There may be some issues with mobile phone coverage in the area around the leak, as two masts need to be closed down temporarily as a safety measure.

"Anyone in the immediate area may still be able to smell gas in the air, so the advice remains to stay indoors and keep doors and windows closed."

SWR said passengers can use their tickets to travel on some Great Western Railway (GWR) and Stagecoach services.