The tracks of a heritage railway in the Staffordshire Moorlands caught fire when a gas pipe ignited.
 
The main under the Churnet Valley Railway ruptured causing gas to rise to the surface and ignite when it was caught by a spark from a passing train.
 
The train arrived at the station and passengers were forced to get off.
 
Three crews, from Leek, Cheadle, and Longton consisting of 15 firefighters were forced to catch the train from Froghall Railway Station because the fire was in a remote location three quarters of a mile away from the road.
 
It had spread to leaves and bushes on the embankment.
 
Crews had to dampen down the area once the blaze was out to prevent it reigniting and spreading.
 
Gas engineers attended the scene but could not work on the site until the main was safe.
 
Station Manager Mark Walchester from Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service, said, "We established a command post at Cheddleton Station where there was a diesel engine, which proved a better option for transporting personnel and equipment. We worked together with the gas engineers and the train operator in order to extinguish the fire. This was a difficult incident to deal with owing to the remote location and the continuous flow of gas through the pipe. We worked closely with the engineers to deal with the incident as safely and quickly as possible. We would like to thank staff at Cheddleton Station for supporting fire service personnel with transportation and refreshments throughout the duration of the incident."
 
Gas engineers notified local residents of the interruption to their supply before excavating the gas main, which stopped the leak and enabled the fire to be extinguished at 22:50.
 
Matt Jackson.