Train wreckage operation begins

Work to remove the wreckage of the Virgin train that derailed in Cumbria is getting under way.

Once the nine carriages are safely removed it will pave the way for the West Coast Mainline - the major route between London and Glasgow - to fully re-open.

Preparing the site for the heavy lifting equipment needed to remove the carriages has been taking place all week.

All nine carriages came off the tracks when the 5.15pm London Euston to Glasgow train was derailed shortly after 8pm on Friday night. Margaret Masson, 84, died in the crash and 22 others were injured.

One of the Government's top rail bosses has described the accident as "a tragedy that should not have happened".

Railway Inspectorate chief Linda Williams made her comments as it was revealed Network Rail, the company responsible for rail infrastructure, is underspending its 2006-07 budget.

The Office of Rail Regulation also said it had drawn attention to the reliability of points on the network some months before last week's derailment.

The RAIB's interim report earlier this week said the immediate cause of the derailment to the London to Scotland Virgin Pendolino train was points failure.

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