Derailed train investigation to look at drainage

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch said its investigation will look into the design of the drainage channel

An independent investigation into the cause of a train derailment will look into a raft of potential issues.

The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) announced it was investigating how the Avanti West Coast service came off the tracks on the West Coast Main Line at Shap in Cumbria on 3 November.

The service, which had left Glasgow for London at 04:28, was carrying 86 passengers and nine staff and was travelling at 80mph when it struck a landslip. Four people were treated for minor injuries.

RAIB said its preliminary examination found a drainage channel was "unable to accommodate the volume of water which was present".

"This led to the slope material below becoming saturated, initiating the landslip," the government body said.

It added it would be probing the design and maintenance of earthworks and drainage, how effective on-site monitoring equipment was and the response to weather warnings.

"We will publish our findings, including any recommendations to improve safety," a RAIB spokesman said.