29/04/2003

Electricity substation fire disrupts commuter travel

A fire at an electricity substation during rush hour this morning caused major disruption for road and rail travellers in Belfast.

The fire at Hannahstown substation on the Glen Road in west Belfast caused a power failure at around 7am this morning causing problems for commuters as traffic light signals were affected.

The power surge also knocked out rail signals in the greater Belfast area causing significant travel delays and disrupted the electricity supply to businesses in the area.

NIE spokesman Robin Greer said there did not seem to be widespread affects caused by the problem but confirmed that engineers were on site trying to restore power as quickly as possible.

Rail operator Translink confirmed that some rail services continued to be delayed on the main commuter lines into Belfast but hoped to have these services restored to normal later today.

While television and radio services were also affected by the fire, domestic supplies to homes around the substation were unaffected by the fault.

(MB)

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