A "do not travel" alert has been issued - and rail services cancelled and delayed - after a freight train derailed on a major route between England and Scotland.

The incident happened on the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Oxenholme Lake District on Wednesday night, National Rail Enquiries said.

Some lines are blocked and a very limited train service is running on the line that remains open.

Train operators Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express issued the alert, urging passengers not to attempt to use their services for journeys between Preston and Scotland on Thursday.

Ticket holders can delay journeys until Friday or travel with other operators.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News App. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.