Derailment-hit passengers 'desperate to get home'

Prosper Ndlovu is trying to get home to Oxenholme in the Lake District

Passengers stranded in Preston following the Cumbria train derailment have said they are "tired and hungry" and desperate to get home.

Four people suffered minor injuries when an 11-carriage Avanti West Coast (AWC) train struck a landslide near the village of Shap at about 06:15 GMT.

The incident is likely to cause "significant disruption to our network for a number of days" on the West Coast Main Line, said an AWC spokesperson.

Prosper Ndlovu, who earlier flew from Ireland to Manchester Airport, has only made it as far as Preston on his way home to Oxenholme. He said he had "no clue" how long it would take him to get back.

"I'm just hungry right now," he added. "I haven't eaten since last night so I just want to get home."

He said staff at Preston station had been "helpful".

AWC said lines were blocked north of Preston and warned: "Please do not attempt to travel north of Preston today."

Samantha Nash is trying to get home to Cumbria after flying from Atlanta in the United States

Samantha Nash said she was "exhausted" after starting her homeward journey at 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) on Sunday in Atlanta before taking an overnight transatlantic flight to Manchester.

The Manchester Airport to Penrith leg came unstuck following the derailment.

"When I got off the flight I got a message to say my 9 o'clock train was cancelled," she said, "so I'm now just waiting for them to find me a train or a bus to get me to Penrith.

"It's just going with the flow at the moment and seeing what happens, but communication has been really good, I can't fault it."

Kelsey Grieve is waiting for a bus replacement service to Scotland

Kelsey Grieve is travelling from Liverpool to Kirkcaldy in Fife, a trip of 260 miles (418km).

"We were panicking at first thinking we were going to be stuck here," she said, "but we're getting a bus replacement.

"We called up ScotRail and they told us what to do, so hopefully it's not too much of a hassle.

"I'm hoping it's not too long that's all, I just want to get home now."

Frustrated passenger Tom Brett said he was feeling "stressed"

Meanwhile Tom Brett is trying to get to Carlisle from Rugby in Warwickshire.

He said his day has gone "from one catastrophe to another" and he is feeling "stressed".

"We're in limbo as far as getting our schedule firmed up. I left Rugby at 08:14 and I might not get to Carlisle until 15:00, but they don't know."