Baldy
23/02/07, 22:57 PM
After tonights dreadful accident i would like to wish all people involed best wishes and hope for no serious injury.
"BBC NEWS - Passengers have been injured and are trapped after a train derailed and slid down an embankment in Cumbria.
Ambulance crews said 48 passengers had so far been found with injuries - eight serious but not life-threatening.
Nine carriages were left on their side after the crash at Grayrigg near Kendal, with passengers saying some were left "stuck up in the air".
The Virgin train, the 1715 from London Euston to Glasgow Central due to arrive at 2154 GMT, crashed at 2015 GMT.
Neither Virgin nor Network Rail have yet been able to say what might have caused the crash.
Casualty evacuation
RAF helicopters, police and fire crews have been sent to the scene of collision, between Oxenholme and Tebay in the Lake District.
The train had about 180 people on board, the fire service said.
Cumbria Ambulance Service said six to eight people were feared trapped in one of the carriages of the train.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gifCONTACT NUMBERS
Police family liaison centre: 0800 40 50 40
National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50
All but one of the train's carriages are said to have totally come off the tracks, a spokeswoman said.
Two passengers with leg and arm injuries have been taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
Other passengers who have come off the train are being assessed on the scene and any minor injuries would be treated there if possible, she added.
Michael Mulford from RAF Kinloss rescue centre said his crews were searching the carriages "systematically and are finding people injured in all sorts of places".
"What the helicopters are being used for at the moment will be casualty evacuation," he said.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42608000/gif/_42608455_cumbria1_oxen_map203.gif
"Three big hospitals are already on major standby and at least one other is ready to receive as well."
One of the passengers, BBC executive Caroline Thomson, said the train "did a sort of bump - and I was thinking don't worry this fine - but then the swaying became very dramatic.
"It suddenly appeared to hit something and then lurched very, very badly from side to side in a very dramatic way. This a very scary experience."
The Pendolino tilting trains, which are built in Italy, have been introduced by Virgin over the last three years and have a top speed of 125 mph.
Network Rail said the line speed for the area where the crash took place was about 95 mph.
In a statement on its website, Virgin Trains confirmed a "serious incident" had taken place.
"Virgin Trains staff are currently working with the emergency services to ensure that those involved in this incident are given every assistance," it said.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42608000/jpg/_42608375_traincrash203.jpg First picture of passengers inside the crashed train
Services between Preston and Carlisle have been suspended until further notice and alternative arrangements for customers, using road vehicles, are being made.
All Scotrail sleeper services to London have also been cancelled, with passengers being transferred to coach services.
Another passenger on the train, Ruth Colton, said: "I was just reading a book and it started to get really bumpy like we were being battered by heavy winds or something and then suddenly the carriage flipped over.
"We all had to climb out the top of one of ours... There's some carriages stuck up in the air and some are just lying on their side".
People worried about friends or relatives on the train are asked to ring a British Transport Police family liaison centre on 0800 40 50 40.
Passengers, meanwhile, are being advised to ring National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 before starting journeys. An emergency services number for friends and relatives is also to be issued shortly by Virgin Trains. "
If this needs deleting or making smaller then do as you wish.
"BBC NEWS - Passengers have been injured and are trapped after a train derailed and slid down an embankment in Cumbria.
Ambulance crews said 48 passengers had so far been found with injuries - eight serious but not life-threatening.
Nine carriages were left on their side after the crash at Grayrigg near Kendal, with passengers saying some were left "stuck up in the air".
The Virgin train, the 1715 from London Euston to Glasgow Central due to arrive at 2154 GMT, crashed at 2015 GMT.
Neither Virgin nor Network Rail have yet been able to say what might have caused the crash.
Casualty evacuation
RAF helicopters, police and fire crews have been sent to the scene of collision, between Oxenholme and Tebay in the Lake District.
The train had about 180 people on board, the fire service said.
Cumbria Ambulance Service said six to eight people were feared trapped in one of the carriages of the train.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/shared/img/o.gifCONTACT NUMBERS
Police family liaison centre: 0800 40 50 40
National Rail Enquiries: 08457 48 49 50
All but one of the train's carriages are said to have totally come off the tracks, a spokeswoman said.
Two passengers with leg and arm injuries have been taken to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary.
Other passengers who have come off the train are being assessed on the scene and any minor injuries would be treated there if possible, she added.
Michael Mulford from RAF Kinloss rescue centre said his crews were searching the carriages "systematically and are finding people injured in all sorts of places".
"What the helicopters are being used for at the moment will be casualty evacuation," he said.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42608000/gif/_42608455_cumbria1_oxen_map203.gif
"Three big hospitals are already on major standby and at least one other is ready to receive as well."
One of the passengers, BBC executive Caroline Thomson, said the train "did a sort of bump - and I was thinking don't worry this fine - but then the swaying became very dramatic.
"It suddenly appeared to hit something and then lurched very, very badly from side to side in a very dramatic way. This a very scary experience."
The Pendolino tilting trains, which are built in Italy, have been introduced by Virgin over the last three years and have a top speed of 125 mph.
Network Rail said the line speed for the area where the crash took place was about 95 mph.
In a statement on its website, Virgin Trains confirmed a "serious incident" had taken place.
"Virgin Trains staff are currently working with the emergency services to ensure that those involved in this incident are given every assistance," it said.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42608000/jpg/_42608375_traincrash203.jpg First picture of passengers inside the crashed train
Services between Preston and Carlisle have been suspended until further notice and alternative arrangements for customers, using road vehicles, are being made.
All Scotrail sleeper services to London have also been cancelled, with passengers being transferred to coach services.
Another passenger on the train, Ruth Colton, said: "I was just reading a book and it started to get really bumpy like we were being battered by heavy winds or something and then suddenly the carriage flipped over.
"We all had to climb out the top of one of ours... There's some carriages stuck up in the air and some are just lying on their side".
People worried about friends or relatives on the train are asked to ring a British Transport Police family liaison centre on 0800 40 50 40.
Passengers, meanwhile, are being advised to ring National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 before starting journeys. An emergency services number for friends and relatives is also to be issued shortly by Virgin Trains. "
If this needs deleting or making smaller then do as you wish.