Dangerous cylinder keeps railway line closed

The railway line through Trowbridge will remain closed until at least lunchtime following the discovery of a potentially dangerous acetylene cylinder yesterday (10 September).

Firefighters from Trowbridge and Westbury were called to a scrapyard off Drynham Lane at 11.42am on Wednesday after a car caught fire while being worked on with hot cutting equipment. The blaze quickly spread to four nearby scrap vehicles and a transport container.

The crews then found the cylinder at the centre of the blaze and immediately withdrew from the site. Because of the risk that the cylinder could explode, a 200m cordon was put into place, leading to two nearby houses being evacuated and the adjacent railway line being closed.

Wiltshire Fire & Rescue Service has remained at the scene overnight, and efforts were made during the evening to remove the cylinder to a location further from the railway line and houses using robot technology. However, the cylinder is too embedded in debris to move and it remains in situ.

It is hoped that the cordon can be lifted by midday, as long as the cylinder has cooled sufficiently to be deemed safe.

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