A major rail line will now be closed for weeks, rather than days as first thought, after a huge freight train crashed into a river.
The train derailed while crossing the bridge over Petteril River, Carlisle, on Wednesday night (October 19) meaning all Northern Rail services to the city from Newcastle were cancelled the following day.
It caused havoc for commuters while railway workers assessed the situation, though Network Rail now admits it has not been able to get near enough to the train due to its precarious position.
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"It's going to take weeks before this will be reopened, rather than days. We need to look into how best to move the wagons. At the moment we don't know if we will need to empty them,” said Phil James, north west route director for Network Rail, speaking to Cumbria Live.
"We can't get close enough at the moment. It's going to be a challenge to recover them. At the moment they're not stable, the wagons are full and nothing has gone into the river.”
There were no injuries during the crash and none of the cement carried in the packed wagons has spilled into the river yet, though Network Rail did say it is working closely with the Environment Agency.
Hundreds of people are expected to take part in the clean-up operation, but before that can begin, inspectors from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch need to work out exactly what happened.
A spokesman for the branch said reports suggest a total of seven wagons derailed and it is working to gather information alongside other agencies.
Northern Rail trains from Newcastle to Carlisle are cancelled again today. There will be reduced services running to nearby Wetheral.
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