Eastleigh derailed freight train: Delays to continue until Monday

The freight train came off the tracks as it left Eastleigh station on Tuesday

A rail line blocked after a freight train derailed in Hampshire is likely to remain closed until Monday.

No-one was injured as the train came off the track at Eastleigh on Tuesday but it blocked the line between Southampton Central and Basingstoke.

Several CrossCountry, South Western Railway (SWR) and Southern routes are affected.

Disruption had been expected until the end of Wednesday but may now continue into next week, Network Rail said.

Josh Constable, who works near where the train derailed, said the building "shook" when it came off the track.

London Waterloo station became crowded during the evening rush hour on Tuesday following the derailment

Network Rail has apologised for the "continued disruption" and said it was examining the infrastructure to establish what repairs were needed.

It said it expected "the majority of services" to run on Monday morning and was doing "everything possible" to open the railway sooner.

Six wagons, which were part of the Freightliner train containing non-hazardous goods, came off the tracks.

Four wagons which remained at the site have now been cleared but the derailment has damaged points equipment which must be repaired.

A Network Rail spokesman said: "Following the derailment there is extensive damage to the track and our engineers are working around the clock to get the railway back open as quickly and as safely as possible.

"To do this we are installing temporary track and will make alterations to the signalling and power supply as the full repair will take more time."

A Freightliner spokesperson said: "A detailed and full investigation is underway to establish the cause, which is led by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.

"It is too early to speculate on the cause of the derailment."

No trains are running through Eastleigh and services are running up to an hour late and may be cancelled or diverted, National Rail said.

All stations between Winchester and Southampton Central are not being served, SWR said.

Part of the track needs repairing after the derailment

Network Rail said work was continuing to recover the freight service from the track

CrossCountry routes are affected between Southampton Central and Manchester Piccadilly, Newcastle and York, and also between Bournemouth and Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street.

The SWR disruption is between Portsmouth Harbour, Poole, Southampton Central, Eastleigh, Fareham, Weymouth and London Waterloo, between Romsey and Salisbury - via Eastleigh - and also between Southampton Central and Winchester and Basingstoke.

Southern services are also subject to change between Southampton Central and Brighton and London Victoria.

CrossCountry customers can use SWR services between Basingstoke and Southampton Central, while SWR customers' tickets are being accepted on Great Western Railway, CrossCountry and Southern routes.

Southern passengers can instead use some SWR routes - though these are "severely impacted", National Rail said - and rail replacement buses were also operating in some areas.

National Rail has urged passengers to check their journeys before travelling