Railway line reopens after freight train derailment

Network Rail issued pictures showing the derailed freight train near Shap, Cumbria

A rail line has reopened after a freight train derailed causing travel chaos on part of the West Coast Main Line.

Passengers were told not to travel after the train came off the tracks on Wednesday near Shap, Cumbria, blocking the line between Carlisle and Oxenholme Lake District.

Network Rail confirmed the train had since been moved but warned there would still be delays on Thursday.

Avanti West Coast said services were still "extremely limited" and advised passengers to check its website before travelling.

The freight train derailed just before 17:00 BST on Wednesday.

On Thursday, Avanti West Coast, which operates the impacted line between Preston and Glasgow and Edinburgh, cancelled services north of Preston.

After the train was moved, Network Rail continued to advise customers not to travel north of Preston.

The freight train partially derailed on Wednesday afternoon, Network Rail said

"There will still be delays while we work to get things back to normal, so please continue to check before you travel if travelling North of Preston," a Network Rail spokesperson said.

"A huge thank you to passengers for your patience today while we worked to safely reopen the line."

TransPennine Express said its services were also suffering delays.

There was also further disruption early on Thursday due to a landslip in the Corbridge area of Northumberland, with Northern replacing trains with buses between Newcastle and Hexham and Carlisle.

The incident was resolved at about 08:00 BST.

Passenger disruption began on Wednesday afternoon