Derailed freight train blocks lines between Loughborough and Barrow upon Soar in Leicestershire
A freight train carrying thousands of tonnes of quarry stone derailed yesterday, blocking two lines.
The incident, which happened shortly before 5.30am, involved a train carrying stone from Buxton, in Derbyshire, to Ely, Cambridgeshire.
Network Rail said the rear 10 carriages of the train left the tracks on an embankment near Pilling's Lock Marina, between Loughborough and Barrow upon Soar.
Initial investigations suggested the derailment could have been caused by a landslip following days of rain.
No-one was injured in the incident.
The accident was captured on camera by Roy Rollings, assistant general manager at the marina.
"I am not surprised they think it could have been caused by a landslip, because of all the rain we have had," Mr Rollings said.
"The derailed wagons were easy to see through the trees and were hundreds of yards from the rest of the train. Workers were on the scene for several hours examining what had happened.
"It is good to know no-one was injured."
Work to recover the derailed freight carriages is expected to take several days.
A spokesman for Network Rail said: "The incident has been reported to the Rail Accident Investigation Bureau.
"The train was taking stone from a quarry in Derbyshire to Cambridgeshire.
"It looks as if the derailment, which involved the rear half of the train, was caused by a landslip.
"A number of the 10 wagons involved had fallen on their sides. The driver was unhurt."
The Network Rail spokesman said the four-track section of the Leicester to Nottingham line had been examined to see if the landslip had affected the two fast lines used for passenger services. He said: "We temporarily stopped those services to check the track and they were later resumed."
Midland mainline trains have continued to use the lines, but services were not stopping at Barrow upon Soar station.
East Midlands Trains put on a replacement bus service between Barrow upon Soar and Loughborough.
A spokeswoman for the company said: "The derailment happened at 5.30am and blocked the two slower lines between Barrow upon Soar and Loughborough.
"Mainline services are running normally but a replacement bus service has been introduced between Loughborough and Barrow-upon-Soar stations."
She said the bus service would continue to operate until the two slow lines were reopened.
It is not known how many days this will take.
