Work to repair the Barking to Gospel Oak overground line following a freight train derailment is “progressing well”, Network Rail has said.

Just after 6am on Thursday, January 23 a freight wagon derailed between Leyton Midland Road and Walthamstow Queens Road causing extensive damage along a two-and-a-half mile stretch.

The line has since been part-suspended as engineers rush to repair the damaged track; Network Rail bosses say a timescale for completion of the work is expected to be confirmed next week.

More than two and a half miles of the route between Barking and South Tottenham was damaged in the incident.

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The line is part-suspended while engineers work to fix the track. Photo: Network Rail

Network Rail’s engineers are almost halfway through the programme of repairs having removed the damage and installed more than a mile of sleepers and top stone in preparation for re-railing next week.

The full programme of repairs includes replacing 39 pieces of rail, 5300 concrete sleepers, 900 wooden sleepers, removing and replacing 10,000 tonnes of ballast during the track replacement and replacing custom-timbers at ten bridges.

Ellie Burrows, Network Rail’s route director for Anglia said: “Our engineers are working as quickly as possible to reopen the line to minimise the disruption this incident is causing and work is progressing well.

“I’d like to say sorry to our passengers and lineside neighbours and thank them for their patience while the work is ongoing.”

An investigation into the cause of the incident is ongoing.

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