A shopping centre in Iverness has been evacuated and train lines in the Highlands have closed after a freight train was found to be leaking gas.
Members of the public have been urged to avoid the area, where a school and Morrisons supermarket were also closed down. ScotRail warned commuters that all lines going to and from Inverness would be closed until further as the gas leak occured close to railway lines, triggering a lockdown in parts of the city centre. Gas firm SGN has confirmed in statement online that the train involved is carrying gas tanks belonging to them.
Emergency services, including three fire engines, are currently on scene and have urged members of the public to avoid the Millburn Road and Academy Street areas. Officers confirmed the Eastgate Shopping Centre and Morrisons have been evacuated as a precaution, and there have so far been no reports of injuries. Meanwhile, pupils from a nearby school, the Millburn Academy, were reportedly kept in the building over lunch, as many of them usually walk a mile to Morisons to buy snacks.
Pedestrians were barred from entering the Eastgate shopping centre, as one local said: “The area is crawling with police.” A passenger travelling on a Dingwall train which was due to arrive into Inverness at around 10am said: “My train was halted at Muir of Ord and the dozens of passengers on board were told it was due to an emergency at the Inverness. I think buses were being laid on to Inverness, but I decided to buy a local service ticket as it would be quicker than waiting for replacement bus.”
Parts of the city centre remain closed as emergency services respond to the gas leak (Chester Chronicle)The incident has seen further travel disruption across the surrounding areas, including the closure of all lines to and from Inverness. Rail replacement services are in operation, with tickets being accepted with Stagecoach North, Scotland Buses and Scottish Citylink services between Inverness, Glasgow, and Edinburgh. There are also bus replacements runnning between Perth and Inverness.
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Gas firm SGN said in statement online that the train involved is carrying gas tanks belonging to them. The firm posted on X, formerly Twitter: "We're responding to a gas escape involving a train carrying tanks which supply our network. We're working with Police Scotland and Scottish Rail to resolve the incident as quickly as possible. ScotRail services in and out of Inverness station have been cancelled until further notice."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 10.25am on Tuesday, May 14, we were made aware of a gas leak from a train in the Millburn Road area of Inverness. Emergency services are in attendance and the public are asked to avoid the Millburn Road and Academy Street areas. The Eastgate Shopping Centre and Morrisons have been evacuated as a precaution.”
Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, apologised to commuters for the disruption brought about by the leak. He said: “We are sorry to customers who have experienced disruption to their journey today. Anyone delayed by 30 minutes or more is entitled to compensation through our Delay Repay Guarantee. Just keep hold of your tickets and claim on the ScotRail website or mobile app.”
Members of the public have been asked to avoid the area (Getty Images/iStockphoto)A Network Rail spokesperson said: “A freight train was found to be leaking gas from one of its tanks at Inverness Millburn depot this morning. There are no reports of injuries or damage to the train but the depot and surrounding areas have been evacuated as a precaution and we are working with the emergency services who are dealing with the leak. The Highland Mainline between Inverness and Aviemore is currently closed until it’s safe to re-open.”
Commuters impacted by delays have been advised to check the ScotRail app, website, or social media channels for the latest service updates.
A Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson said: “We were alerted at 9.54am on Tuesday, May 14, to reports of a gas leak from a train near Inverness Rail Station. Operations Control mobilised three fire appliances and specialist resources to the scene, where crews remain in attendance to assist partners in making the area safe.”
The British Transport Police reassured members of the public that there have been no injuries reported so far. A spokesperson said: “We were called to the line near Inverness railway station at 9.49am today to reports of a gas leak on board a freight train. There are no reported injuries and precautionary cordon has been put in place.”
In a later update, Network Rail confirmed all lines re-opened at 1:30pm on Tuesday, May 14. Writing on X, the operator said: "Good news from Inverness. @SGNgas and @Scot_fire have stopped the gas leaking from the freight train in Inverness and all lines have reopened." ScotRail added: "The gas leak from the freight train at Inverness has stopped and all lines to/from Inverness are now reopened. We're working hard to get our crew and units back into position, some alterations will continue whilst we do this."
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