Commuter Chaos After West Coast Derailment

Passengers on one of Britain's busiest railway lines are facing widespread disruption after a freight train derailment in the early hours of the morning.

Services between Milton Keynes and London Euston were cancelled during the morning rush hour after the train came off the tracks at Bletchley on the West Coast main line.

The driver of the Freightliner train, the only person on board, was treated for injuries.

The engine, which remained upright, is still blocking the line and some damage has been reported.

Heavy lifting gear will have to be brought in to get the train back on track but repairs cannot start until the initial cause of the derailment is known.

Network Rail said that "services will be resumed as quickly as possible" but delays are expected to continue until at least this afternoon, if not later.

"We apologise to passengers for the disruption. Our engineers and investigators are at the scene," a spokesman said.

Train operators Virgin Trains, Southern and London Midland have advised passengers to find alternative routes until the line is cleared.

Passengers are being advised to contact National Rail Enquiries if they are planning to travel.