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Derailed train likely to block lines for ‘weeks’




Train
services
between
Carlisle,
Newcastle,
Appleby
and
Skipton
may
be
disrupted
for
weeks



after
a
cement
train
was
derailed
at
Petteril
Bridge
Junction,
where
the
Settle
and
Carlisle
line
leaves
the
route
towards
Hexham
and
Newcastle.



The
derailment
was
destructive.
Several
wagons
left
the
track
and
came
to
rest
on
the
embankment,
and
at
least
one
landed
in
the
River
Petteril,
according
to
Network
Rail,
which
also
said
no-one
was
injured.



Network
Rail
engineers
and
five
RAIB
inspectors
have
gone
to
the
site
since
the
incident,
which
happened
soon
after
20.00
on
Wednesday.



The
infrastructure
was
seriously
damaged,
including
the
track,
a
bridge,
signals
and
other
lineside
equipment.
Network
Rail
has
warned
that
the
task
of
recovering
the
wagons
and
repairing
the
damage
is
expected
to
take
‘weeks
rather
than
days’.
Replacement
buses
are
running
between
Carlisle
and
Haltwhistle,
and
Carlisle
and
Appleby,
and
Northern
warned
that
the
bus
journeys
will
take
longer.
Trains
on
the
nearby
West
Coast
Main
Line
to
Glasgow
and
Preston
are
not
affected.



Network
Rail
North
West
route
director
Phil
James
said:
‘On
the
rare
occasions
trains
leave
tracks
like
this
it
can
cause
extensive
damage
and
unfortunately
this
incident
is
no
exception.



‘I
understand
this
will
be
extremely
frustrating
for
passengers
who
rely
on
this
crucial
rail
link
from
east
to
west
linking
Carlisle
and
Newcastle,
as
well
as
south
to
Skipton.
We’re
working
hard
to
keep
people
on
the
move
through
rail
replacement
buses
while
we
work
as
fast
as
we
can
to
restore
the
railway
for
passengers
and
freight.’



The
Rail
Accident
Investigation
Branch
has
now
started
the
complex
task
of
gathering
evidence.



The
RAIB
said:
‘We
are
working
in
conjunction
with
other
agencies
to
secure
the
vital
evidence
needed
to
help
us
understand
what
went
wrong.
Our
inspectors
are
in
the
process
of
reviewing
digital
material
from
on-train
data
recorders,
CCTV
and
infrastructure
monitoring
systems,
as
well
as
collecting
physical
evidence
from
the
train
and
track
involved.



‘In
accordance
with
our
normal
processes
we
have
started
releasing
parts
of
the
train. 
We
will
continue
to
release
parts
of
the
train
and
track
in
stages
at
the
earliest
opportunity.’

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