NETWORK Rail bosses have confirmed that suspicious devices found on the track close to Newton-le-Willows train station were found to "not pose a threat to the railway".

Two suspicious items were found near Newton-le-Willows station on Tuesday, September 6, although reports about the discovery were only confirmed this week.

Transport police added that after an investigation the items were deemed not to be threatening and were removed from the railway.

The public were alerted about the incident following an internal Network Rail warning shared by the RMT union issued on September 15, however Network Rail and British Transport Police have confirmed that the items did not pose a threat.

 

A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Railway staff are specially trained to recognise anything unusual on the tracks and report it immediately if it’s a cause for concern.

“We thank our workers for their vigilance in reporting this potential security incident to ensure the safety of passengers and freight, and also to the British Transport Police for their quick response to determine these items did not pose a threat to the railway.”

A spokesperson for British Transport Police, added: “Officers were called to the line near Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, at 1.16am on 6 September to a report of a two suspicious items.

“A cordon was put in place while specialist units attended to assess the items. The items were deemed non-threatening and removed from the railway. The line was handed back at 5.20am.”