Passengers hit with parking fines after Bedford train crash closure
Passengers returning to cars near Bedford station found parking tickets waiting after a fatal train crash closed the line and kept them away from the area.
Passengers stranded by last week’s fatal Bedford rail collision returned to Bedford Borough Council’s Ashburnham Road Car Park beside Bedford railway station to find penalty charge notices on their windscreens. The tickets landed after police and rail authorities told people not to go into the area during the emergency response.
The crash happened at about 17:15 BST on 19 June 2026 near Elstow, south of Bedford, when two East Midlands Railway services collided. The trains were the 16:40 Corby to London St Pancras service and the 15:50 Nottingham to London St Pancras service. Shaun Burton, 60, the driver of the Corby train, died in the collision. More than 100 people were injured and nine were in a critical condition.
The line stayed closed for days, leaving some passengers unable to get back to their cars after being moved away from the scene. One commuter said he had already paid remotely for an extra day’s parking at 8.49am on Saturday 20 June, yet still returned to a ticket because he was stuck behind the crash and could not get back to Bedford while rail services were suspended.
The response to the crash involved fire and rescue crews, the ambulance service, the National Police Air Service, British Transport Police, Bedfordshire Police and railway staff. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch opened an investigation and on 24 June published preliminary findings: the Corby service passed a red signal moments before the collision.
Bedford Borough Council apologised after the parking notices and said any incorrect tickets would be rescinded. The council told motorists who still needed a ticket cancelled that they should email parking.services@bedford.gov.uk. A separate parking operator, APCOA, eased parking restrictions at Bedford Train Station car park for people affected by the incident.
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