Rail disruption ends following 'wartime bomb' discovery near Hartlepool

A train line blocked for more than three hours following the discovery of a wartime bomb has now reopened.
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Northern Trains tweeted around 7.30pm on Monday evening: “Disruption caused by a wartime bomb near the railway at Hartlepool has now ended. Services are no longer affected by this problem.”

Train services running through Hartlepool station towards Sunderland and Middlesbrough had earlier been disrupted.

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British Transport Police (BTP) dealt with the discovery on railway land just off the A1086 main coast road, near the former Seagull pub, which the Sunderland-Hartlepool-Middlesbrough rail line passes.

A BTP spokesperson had earlier said: “Officers from British Transport Police together with colleagues from Durham Constabulary are investigating reports of a possible World War Two unexploded device found on farm land in the Blackhall Rocks area very close to the Newcastle coastal route railway line.”

Network Rail said the device was found around 60 metres from the railway.

Both lines between Hartlepool and Seaham were closed so investigations could be carried out.

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There were no cancellations and only minor delays to services before the line reopened at 7pm.

Police and Network Rail attending the scene at the railway line near Blackhall where a wartime bomb has reportedly been discovered. Picture by Frank Reid.Police and Network Rail attending the scene at the railway line near Blackhall where a wartime bomb has reportedly been discovered. Picture by Frank Reid.
Police and Network Rail attending the scene at the railway line near Blackhall where a wartime bomb has reportedly been discovered. Picture by Frank Reid.

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Police and Network Rail attending the scene at the railway line near Blackhall where a wartime bomb has reportedly been discovered. Picture by Frank Reid.Police and Network Rail attending the scene at the railway line near Blackhall where a wartime bomb has reportedly been discovered. Picture by Frank Reid.
Police and Network Rail attending the scene at the railway line near Blackhall where a wartime bomb has reportedly been discovered. Picture by Frank Reid.

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