Rail journeys between two major cities have been temporarily scrapped as work to recover a derailed freight train is still expected to last for weeks.
The derailment on October 21 saw five wagons, each carrying 80 tonnes of powdered cement, break free from the track as the train crossed a bridge over the River Petteril in Carlisle - with some even crashing into the waterway below.
It means all Northern Rail trains from Newcastle to Carlisle have been cancelled, with bus replacement services running from Haltwhistle instead, while plans to bring in a crane to move the wagons are taking time due to the area’s unstable ground conditions.
