West Highland train derailment: Operators admit uncertainty over when services will resume

Published on 28/06/2012 22:06

A LANDSLIDE has caused a freight train to derail, blocking the West Highland railway line.

The 24-wagon train came off the tracks between Corrour and Tulloch just after 7pm tonight.

A spokeswoman for British Transport Police said the driver was badly shaken by the incident, but he was not physically injured.

No one else was hurt.

ScotRail’s Caledonian sleeper service from Fort William to London Euston, which was due to run overnight, has been cancelled.

The service will remain at Fort William to provide accommodation for passengers.

Trains between Crianlarich and Mallaig are also suspended.

Network Rail said the remote location would make it difficult to recover the derailed train and it is not known when services will resume.

The line is expected to remain closed tomorrow morning.

Rail services have also been affected on both of the main lines in and out of Scotland because of the weather.

Trains were hit by floods in Cumbria and near Newcastle, while a landslip near Berwick-upon-Tweed meant services on the East Coast Main Line were severely disrupted.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) issued a flood warning for Glen Lyon in Tayside, and many other parts of the country were on flood alert.

Fire crews were called to assist with flooding in Fort Augustus this evening.

A spokeswoman for Highlands and Islands Fire and Rescue Service said there was about a foot of water on the A82, outside Scots Kitchen restaurant close to the Caledonian Canal.