BREAKING NEWS - One dead - massive rescue after Pendolino derails (From The Westmorland Gazette)

BREAKING NEWS - One dead - massive rescue after Pendolino derails

9:19am Saturday 24th February 2007 in News By Ruth Lythe

EMERGENCY services worked through the night at the scene of a train derailment near Kendal.

An eighty-year-old woman was killed and five other passengers seriously hurt when the Virgin Pendolino train derailed at Grayrigg.

Several carriages of the nine carriage train were turned over after the Virgin London to Glasgow service derailed at 8pm on Friday.

The train had been travelling at around 95 mph with 120 passengers on board when it derailed.

Twelve ambulance vehicles were at the scene along with three RAF helicopters from RAF Kinloss, taking the 22 injured passengers to hospital.

Police have not yet named the woman who died.

The emergency telephone number for people concerned about passengers and wanting to know where they are is 0800 056 0146 or, from outside the UK, 0044 207 158 0198.

Virgin trains have suspended services between Lancaster and Lockerbie and replacement buses are operating.

Trains are running as usual to and from Lockerbie and between London and Lancaster.

People travelling today can call National Rail Enquiries on 08457 48 49 50 before starting journeys.