Stainforth landslip rail line to be closed until June

Network Rail said the track at Stainforth could be repaired as the spoil heap had now stabilised

A railway line closed after a major landslip is not likely to reopen until the summer, Network Rail has said.

The spoil heap collapse at Hatfield Colliery at Stainforth, South Yorkshire, has pushed up the track.

Network Rail said the spoil heap had stopped moving and it had been able to survey the damage, which it said was "a lot worse than we originally thought".

Rail services between Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Cleethorpes are expected to be suspended until the end of June.

Buses have replaced those services and an amended timetable will run until the track is repaired.

Phil Verster, route managing director for Network Rail, thanked passengers and freight customers for their "patience in this difficult time".

He said: "In recent days it has become apparent that the damage to the railway is a lot worse than we originally thought and the repair work will be more complex.

"Clearly our priority is to get rails services running again as quickly as possible but we need to do so safely."