A FREIGHT train derailment has thrown Border rail passenger services into chaos.
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Trains will not return until tomorrow night at the earliest following Tuesday afternoon’s derailment near Euroa.
Just one of five trains between Albury and Melbourne was scheduled for yesterday.
That dire situation will be repeated today, with four of six services replaced by buses.
And a V/Line spokesman said it was not known whether trains would be back on the rails tomorrow.
A freight train derailed on a section of track at Locksley, between Euroa and Avenel about 4.40pm.
An Australian Rail Track Corporation spokesman said eight empty wagons from the back of a train had derailed.
The train was travelling towards Sydney.
The derailment led to the closure of a section of the west track between Seymour and Benalla.
The spokesman said “relevant authorities” including the Australian Transport Safety Bureau had been notified.
Bureau investigators inspected the site early yesterday, while a crane removed the wagons yesterday afternoon.
“There is no forecast for the track to be returned to service,” the corporation spokesman said.
“This will be subject to investigations and any repairs required.”
The train’s crew escaped injury in the derailment, which will the subject of a full bureau investigation.
While the incident was beyond V/Line’s control, it continued a horror run for the passenger rail organisation.
A carriage fault led to passengers being put on coaches for the midday Albury-Wodonga service out of Melbourne’s Southern Cross Station on Sunday.
A vandalised train on February 3 resulted in the cancellation of two services, both replaced by buses.
“The ARTC has advised it will take at least two days to repair the rail track damaged in the derailment,” the V/Line spokesman said.
Services replaced by coaches yesterday were the 7.10am Southern Cross to Albury, the midday Southern Cross to Albury, the 12.45pm Albury to Southern Cross and the 5.20pm Albury to Southern Cross.
Last night’s 6.01pm service from Southern Cross was schedule to run as normal.
Trains to be replaced by buses today are the 7.10am Southern Cross to Albury, the midday Southern Cross to Albury, the 12.45pm Albury to Southern Cross and the 5.20pm Albury to Southern Cross.
Trains that are scheduled to run as normal today are the 6.35am Albury to Southern Cross and the 6.01pm Southern Cross to Albury.
It could be later today before the fate of tomorrow’s Albury-Wodonga V/Line services are known.