A bank slip which was caused by the extreme weather before Christmas has suspended all rail services on the line between Sleaford and Lincoln. East Midlands Trains will provide road replacement transport until Monday 12 January as Network Rail teams work to repair the damage.

Phil Verster, Route Managing Director for Network Rail, said: “We apologise to passengers that rail services between Sleaford and Lincoln are suspended following a bank slip in Ruskington. Our expert teams have been monitoring this site since the storms before Christmas and detected movement within the bank overnight.

“Detailed assessment indicates that we need 2,500 tonnes of stone to sufficiently stabilise the bank to allow trains to run. Our engineers will remain in the area for several weeks repairing wider storm damage.”

East Midlands Trains is providing road transport for passengers travelling between Sleaford and Lincoln until Monday 12 January. Rail services are operating normally between Sleaford and Peterborough.

A spokesperson for East Midlands Trains said: “The line between Lincoln and Sleaford is currently blocked due to a bank slip at Ruskington and no rail services are expected to operate on this route for the remainder of the week.

“Network Rail engineers are working to re-open the line. However, replacement road transport is currently operating between Lincoln and Sleaford. We would like to apologise to passengers for the disruption to their services. We advise passengers to check before they travel on our website where they can download our bus timetable.”