A train travelling from Glasgow to London has derailed near Shap in Cumbria - passengers tell the BBC the train "rocked and tilted" with a "real big screech"
The 04:28 service from Glasgow came off the tracks around 06:10 GMT - watch the moment train staff told passengers
Avanti West Coast says there were 86 people on board plus rail staff, and four suffered minor injuries
A passenger says train crew told him the train had hit a landslide - a picture from the scene shows the badly-damaged train covered in what seems to be mud
Network Rail confirms there was a landslip in the area, but they are still working out exactly why the train derailed
Avanti says "it is likely there will be significant disruption to our network for a number of days" and advises customers not to travel north of Preston today
The front of the train has been damaged and the windscreen is covered in what appears to be mud
Image source, Gordon Head/NodrogNetwork Rail says there was a landslip in the area, but an investigation is being carried out into the exact cause of the derailment
Image source, Rebecca McCarthyPassengers were pictured walking away from the scene
Image source, Getty ImagesEmergency services at the scene as the investigation continues
Avanti West Coast, the rail provider for the derailed service, says the West Coast Main Line will stay closed whilst the site is being inspected.
It also says the line will not be reopened until the train is recovered - but does not say when that will be.
It is advising passengers not to travel to or from destinations on the line north of Preston.
There will be "significant disruption until the route is operational", it says.
Avanti also confirms there were 86 passengers plus rail staff on board when the train derailed.
Paul Hastie
Reporting from Glasgow
Footage sent to BBC News by passenger Ian Murray shows the scene on board the train after it has come off the track.
In the video, a member of staff addresses passengers over the loudspeaker, but the carriage is otherwise quiet and calm.
The announcer says the train has "struck something of quite considerable size and unfortunately one of our coaches has come off the rails".
Passengers are told that a rescue plan is being put together to move them to another train. But there’s an audible gasp when they hear they could be stuck for hours.
Julia Bryson
Live reporter
These new photos clearly show the damage to the front of the train, and debris on the windscreen.
They were shared on X by Gordon Head, known as Nodrog, who is a Blackpool content creator with an interest in adverse weather and the railways.
Image source, Gordon Head/NodrogHe says he was given the location by one of his contacts in the railway industry, and went to have a look.
"I located the unit just south of the quarry, where Network Rail and British Transport Police are inspecting the damage and derailment," he says.
Image source, Gordon Head/NodrogHe adds that he doesn't believe the section of rail where the derailment occurred is "full speed" for passenger trains.
Image source, Gordon Head/Nodrog
Image source, ReutersA police officer mans a road block near the site of the train derailment near Shap in Cumbria
If you're just joining our live coverage, we've been speaking to several passengers who were aboard Avanti West Coast service when it left the tracks near Shap in Cumbria today. Here's a rundown of what happened, in their words.
Paul Hastie
Reporting from Glasgow
Christine Kane is one of many disrupted passengers at Glasgow Central station
In Glasgow, the derailment is causing a headache for many passengers still hoping to reach London today.
Several have told BBC News they’ve taken Avanti West Coast’s advice and will delay their travel until tomorrow or later in the week.
But for Christine Kane, she’s desperate to make the journey so she can look after her granddaughter.
"I'm supposed to be picking her up from school at 15:30. I was getting off that train at 14:00 and going straight to get her," she says.
Christine travelled this morning from Livingston, near Edinburgh, to catch the train from Glasgow.
Now she needs to retrace her journey and head to Edinburgh in hope of joining an east coast service on LNER.
Elliot Burrin
Live reporter
I've just spoken to Shap Parish Council chairwoman Jean Jackson, who says the rain has been "exceptionally bad" in the area in recent days.
Jackson says "the rain is phenomenal" around Cumbria, adding she's "not surprised" there was a landslide given the steep slopes next to the railway line.
It's not the first time landslides have affected trains in the area - last year, there were delays after heavy rain flooding caused a landslip between Oxenholme Lake District and Penrith North Lakes.
Sam MacDougall, director of operations at Network Rail, says Cumbria poses these "specific challenges" because of the regional weather and topography.
Helen Willetts
BBC Weather
Heavy rainfall is expected on west coast of Britain until the end of this week
As we've heard, the area where the landslide occurred has been experiencing poor weather, including heavy rainfall, in recent days.
It’s certainly been a wet weekend in Cumbria. In the last three days, 77.4mm of rain has fallen – it’s a wet time of year, but that’s over a third of the expected rainfall for November.
Last month, Shap had 167.8mm of rain, a little short of the average. However, September was one of the wettest on record.
Cumbria will remain cloudy, damp, mild and windy with fog over the hills throughout the rest of the day.
The rain is likely to turn heavier again overnight and through Tuesday morning. The Met office has issued a warning for heavy rain in Cumbria on Tuesday. With another 30 to 60mm widely and 80mm in prone spots, this could lead to flooding in the area.
As for the rest of the week ahead, rainfall may push above 100mm in parts of Cumbria as further bands of rain arrive off the Atlantic.
Network Rail has issued another update, saying the area where the landslide occurred has been experiencing "significant adverse weather conditions".
"Extremely heavy rainfall continues to compound the issue," it says.
Network Rail's director of operations Sam McDougall told a news conference earlier that early indications suggest the train "struck a landslide".
The latest update says that the infrastructure operator is working with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to establish the cause.
Network Rail says the incident will cause disruption for the rest of the day "but we are working to reopen the line as soon as it is safe to do so".
Julia Bryson
Live reporter
Image source, Rebecca McCarthyRebecca McCarthy boarded the service at Penrith for her daily commute to Wigan about 10 minutes before the train came off the tracks.
"There was a thud, the train rocked and tilted before coming to a stop," she tells the BBC.
"I was in Coach D and passengers closer to the front told me they had seen white flashes of light and heard a huge bang."
She says that afterwards the train crew were "fantastic, bringing round drinks and snacks keeping us all informed".
McCarthy, 54, adds: "All the passengers stayed calm and we did exactly what we were told. Some with flights to catch were evacuated first, which everyone supported.
"I'm very grateful to the crew and emergency services.
"The train manager said it was the reactions of the driver that prevented this from being more serious."
Image source, Getty ImagesScotland's First Minister John Swinney says he is "very concerned" about the derailment which happened as an Avanti train was travelling from Glasgow to London.
He says rail travel is normally very safe but adds that "when these incidents happen, they are matters of enormous concern and require detailed investigation".
"This will have been an absolutely terrifying experience to have witnessed, so it's important that all support is in place for everyone that's affected," Swinney says.
Sam MacDougall, director of operations at Network Rail, has told a news conference the infrastructure operator is undertaking a "full and thorough" investigation into the cause of the derailment.
"Early indications would suggest that the train has struck a landslide just north of where it now stands," MacDougall says.
"The train design has worked extremely well, the vehicle has remained upright," he adds.
Asking during a news conference, broadcast by Sky News, whether the operator should have been aware of the obstacle, MacDougall says Network Rail has devoted a lot of resources to understanding severe weather and topography risks in the area.
He says Cumbria poses "specific challenges" but adds such incidents are "extremely rare".
Network Rail says "major disruption" on the West Coast Main Line will continue until the end of the day. Here's what it says about impacted services:
Avanti West Coast is running a shuttle service between Glasgow and Carlisle, and TransPennine are running hourly rail replacement coaches between Carlisle and Preston.
Further delays are expected for a number of days, Avanti says.
Network Rail has now confirmed to the BBC that a "landslip" occurred in the area before the train derailed.
But a spokesperson says they are still trying to determine whether the event was the cause of the service coming off the tracks.
What happened
Passengers speak to the BBC
Disruption to rail services
Image source, ReutersRail workers walk along the track near the site of the derailment near Shap
Paul Hastie
Reporting from Glasgow
Image source, ReutersPassengers at Euston have been warned of delays of 120 minutes on the West Coast Mainline
The derailment is causing major disruption to Avanti West Coast and TransPenine Express services that use the West Coast Mainline. This could last for days, Avanti says.
Both operators are urging passengers not to attempt to travel north of Preston today.
Avanti trains run between London Euston and Glasgow while TransPenine services run from Manchester and Liverpool.
Trains will be much busier on east coast routes for passengers travelling to and from Scotland. National Rail has the latest updates on its journey check page here., external
Tickets for affected trains are being accepted on CrossCountry, Northern, ScotRail trains and LNER trains on the East Coast Mainline.
Anyone who is booked on a service that has been delayed or cancelled can also claim Delay Repay compensation., external
Campbell Watson was asleep in coach B, at the back of the train, when it derailed.
"I was sleeping and there was a big jolt on the train, a real big screech and then all of a sudden the train came to a stop and the power went off," he tells BBC Radio Cumbria.
Watson says around 20 minutes later, staff told them the train hit a landslide, caused by heavy rain at the weekend.
"It was a very shocking experience," he says.
"I think the best part about it was the driver and his 30 years of experience. I think he was a bit shook up but he did a good job [keeping everyone safe]."
Watson is now in a coach on his way back to Scotland - he says there is another coach taking other passengers south.
A coach at the Shap Wells Hotel, to where passengers were taken
The ambulance service says four people suffered minor injuries, but no one required hospital treatment.
The North West Ambulance Service adds that it has stood down its major incident status.
Here's the statement in full: "We can now confirm that we have stood down from major incident status and are withdrawing resources from the scene.
"Our colleagues have assessed a total of 87 patients, with only four suffering minor injuries.
"No one required further hospital treatment, and all were discharged from the nearby rest centre.
"An operation remains in place with our partners as they continue to recover the scene."
Sian Hall
Reporting from Shap
The police, fire crews and mountain rescue teams have been making their way along this busy stretch of road this morning on the A6.
I'm standing in a lay-by just outside the village of Shap, overlooking where the West Coast Mainline runs through.
You can't actually see it because it's hidden among the fells and it's a very foggy start to the day. The wind is strong with real blustery rain coming in.
Where I am standing is just towards the entrance of the Shap Wells Hotel, which is where people from this train have been taken. Police are at the entrance to the hotel and there is a bus there as well.
Elliot Burrin
Live reporter
"There was a flash and a bang," James Burrow, who was on the derailed service this morning, tells the BBC.
Staff quickly informed them the train had derailed, he says.
He says he was escorted off the train at 08:50 to go to a local hotel - we know that the train derailed at 06:10 and passengers began arriving at the hotel from around 07:30.
"People were confused but calm. At first we thought a car or something had hit the train," he says, adding that train staff said it was a "landslide".
He's cancelled his plans to go to Birmingham for the day, but other passengers are waiting for coaches to Preston.
Image source, James BurrowThis picture, showing the other end of the train from our previous post, appears to show - in the distance - the front of the train off the tracks