The Liverpool-Manchester railway line is set to be closed for much of the day after a car crashed on to the tracks at Salford
Train services on the Chat Moss line to destinations across northern England and north Wales are expected to be severely disrupted for the rest of the day
Network Rail says the car has to be removed and overhead power lines repaired before services can resume
Police say the driver - a man in his 30s - has been arrested on suspicion of drinking and driving and has been taken to hospital with injuries that are not thought to be life-changing or life-threatening
Rail replacement bus services have been organised, the details of which are on the National Rail website
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Network Rail has shared this image of a road railer hoisting the BMW from the tracks earlier.
As the name suggests, a road railer can operate on tracks as well as roads.
The car is set to be taken away by a works train.
Image source, Network Rail
This was the scene a little earlier as the car involved in the crash was removed from the railway tracks.
There's still more to do to clear the debris and repair the damaged overhead cables.
The clear-up begins after a car crashed on to the Manchester-Liverpool railway line
Fans travelling to Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium for the FA Cup clash with Leicester have been warned to check ahead before they travel.
The match kicks off at 20:00 GMT but rail services between Liverpool and Manchester are likely to face disruption until 22:00, according to the latest update.
Network Rail has apologised to passengers affected and urged those planning to travel between the two cities to keep checking for the latest information.
Network Rail has said fixing the overhead cables damaged in the crash will take about eight hours, with services not expected to restart until about 22:00 GMT.
The lines which power trains were damaged after the crash on the Chat Moss line, impacting Transport for Wales, Transpennine Express and Northern Rail train service, it added.
Quote MessageThere has been significant damage to the overhead lines which will take at least eight hours to repair once the site has been cleared. We anticipate the earliest possible time the lines can reopen is 10 o’clock on Friday night.
Network Rail, spokesperson
The wrecked car has now been removed from the railway tracks.
Our colleague Rowan Bridge is at the scene, watching the recovery efforts.
This photograph captures the extent of the damage caused to the concrete wall at the side of the road.
It looks to be a considerable drop from the bridge down on to the railway tracks below.
Also visible are the damaged overhead power cables.
Image source, BBC/Rowan BridgeFor those just joining us, here's a recap of what we know so far:
We can bring you more pictures from the scene now, showing the wrecked car still on the tracks after the crash overnight.
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA Media
Image source, PA MediaAs of 11:15 GMT, National Rail lists the following routes as still being affected by the line closure in Salford:
More from National Rail now.
The UK's rail network has shared its latest update, external - and it's not good news for many passengers.
It says: "Whilst [emergency services] complete their work, all lines are closed through Eccles and no trains will run through this station.
"As a result, trains between Newton-le-Willows / Wigan North Western and Manchester Oxford Road / Manchester Victoria will be cancelled, revised or diverted.
"Major disruption is expected until the end of the day."
Northern Trains has shared an image showing the extent of the damage to the car which crashed on to the tracks.
It says the line is expected to be closed for most of the day while Network Rail clears the vehicle and debris as well as repair damaged wires and tracks.
Image source, Northern TrainsThe burnt-out car is straddling both lines, with work under way to remove it and repair the damage caused
The car plummeted on to the Chat Moss line in Salford, which links Manchester and Liverpool.
When it opened in 1830, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway line was, according to the Science and Industry Museum, external in Manchester, "the world's first steam-powered, inter-urban railway designed to transport both passengers and goods".
The museum said: "Goods traffic was at an all-time high between Liverpool and Manchester in the 1820s. Liverpool was the country's main port for raw cotton, and Manchester's mills devoured as much of it as they could, sending heaps of finished textiles back to Liverpool and out across the world."
Phil Cunliffe
BBC North West Tonight
A road railer - which, as its name suggests, can operate on tracks as well as roads - is on its way to the site to hoist the BMW off the tracks. We think this will be taken away by a works train.
There is considerable damage to overhead power cables on one side of the cutting.
The car which has overturned is straddling both tracks of the main line between Liverpool and Manchester.
A resident says he saw glass strewn around the site of the crash while out walking his dog this morning.
"There were bits of car everywhere and you couldn't walk," says the man, who does not wish to be named.
He says he had to find an alternative route as he was worried about the glass causing injuries to his dog.
According to National Rail, external, the major disruption to services is expected to continue all day.
All lines are closed through Eccles, with no trains running through the station.
Image source, National RailImages from Network Rail, taken in the early hours, show engineers assessing the damage. A burnt-out car is lying upside down across both tracks.
A section of the concrete barrier on the railway bridge is missing where the car crashed through.
Image source, Network RailEngineers have been at the scene of the crash since the early hours
Image source, Network RailThe burnt out car as seen from the railway line
Michelle Adamson
BBC Radio Manchester reporter
I've seen a team putting climbing gear on and abseiling from the bridge which the car crashed through this morning. They have been inspecting for damage to its structural integrity.
Engineers tell me they are waiting for a vehicle to come on to the tracks. There is debris including glass and wires everywhere.
It seems the car involved in the crash passed between two trees. I don't know how as the gap is literally the width of the car.
The concrete from the barrier it went through is about four inches thick and a slab of that concrete has fallen on to the track below.
This is the scene of the crash this morning, with the car lying across the railway tracks.
A police cordon is in place where the vehicle is said to have driven through a barrier.
Video shows the scene in Salford where a car crashed on to the railway tracks
Racing journalist Neil Watson is among those whose Friday morning isn't going to plan as the main railway line between Manchester and Liverpool is closed for the foreseeable...
Image source, X