Plane wreckage removed from line

Emma and Nick O'Brien were married in August 2008, police said.

The wreckage of a light aircraft which crashed onto a railway line killing three people has been been removed by air accident investigators.

The pilot Alan Matthews, 59, along with Nick O'Brien, 35, and his wife, Emma, 29, all from the West Midlands, died in the crash near Stafford, on Friday.

Network Rail engineers are working on the West Coast Main Line, and some Virgin Train services have resumed.

The line should be fully open by Monday's rush hour, Network Rail said.

British Transport Police said the line had been handed back to Network Rail after an examination by the Air Accidents Investigations Branch.

A Network Rail spokesman said teams of engineers would work on power cables and tracks to get the West Coast Main Line fully running by Monday morning.

Tributes paid

Meanwhile, Virgin Train services began using the track on Sunday afternoon and the line up to Liverpool was expected to reopen before the end of the day.

Investigators spent most of Saturday gathering evidence from the crash site

He added there would still be some delays, but a normal service was expected by Monday morning.

Other train operators were running a reduced service on the West Coast Main Line on Sunday, with rail replacement buses adding to journey times.

Tributes have been paid to the victims of the crash.

Mr and Mrs O'Brien, from Shirley, Solihull, who married last August, were passengers in the plane which crashed when it hit power lines above the track at Little Haywood.

The couple had two children, Callum, aged 10, and 18-month-old Joel, a British Transport Police spokeswoman said.

It is understood that Mr O'Brien knew the pilot Mr Matthews, from Walsall, through his work.

RAIL ENQUIRIES For more information on train times call 08457 48 49 50 National Rail Enquiries The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites

Mr Matthews' wife Jenny paid tribute to her "loving, caring" husband in a statement. She said he would help anybody and loved flying.

Mr Matthews is registered as company director of Sittles Farm Flying Club, near Lichfield, Staffordshire.

Club member Richard Morris said: "He (Alan) was a very nice chap and he was one of our long-standing members at the club.

"We are all deeply shocked to hear of this accident - he was a very good, experienced flyer and we are just totally shocked really."

The incident has had an impact on rail travel through the area affecting trains from London to the North West and Scotland.

Replacement buses put on by London Midland are running to local stations in the area.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version