Driver's prompt action praised after easyBus from Shropshire catches fire

The easyBus vehicle caught fire as it stood outside Wrexham General Railway Station.

Andrew Martin, the easyBus franchise owner who lives in Shrewsbury, today praised the driver's actions, but said he did not want to name him.

He said: "He very quickly pulled the vehicle over into a safe space away from any other vehicles or buildings. He acted very promptly."

Mr Martin said the driver managed to get out of the vehicle unharmed, and there were no passengers in the vehicle at the time.

A passenger was due to board at Wrexham but Mr Martin said they chose to take a taxi to the airport instead.

A replacement bus arrived to resume the service shortly afterwards.

Mr Martin also praised the fire service for their professionalism in getting the fire under control having arrived on the scene within minutes.

North Wales Fire Service was called out just after 11am on Monday and brought the fire under control by 11.35am.

A spokeswoman for the fire service said rail authorities were informed because a large amount of smoke was billowing onto the track.

The Highways Authority also attended because of damage from the fire on the road surface. She said the fire was thought to have started in the fuel injection system. About 40 per cent of the vehicle was destroyed.

Ian Lucas. MP for Wrexham, was outside Wrexham General Train Station when the drama happened.

He also praised firefighters for how fast they arrived at the scene of the blaze.

The easyBus service, which takes passengers from Shropshire to Manchester Airport for as little as £2 each way, was launched last year. The service picks passengers up at several stops in the county including Telford, Shrewsbury and Oswestry, and calls at Wrexham and Chester before arriving at the airport.