SALISBURY TRAIN CRASH: Recovery work begins and expected to last "couple of days"
Some carriages have already left
Network Rail has confirmed that the recovery operation has begun of the trains stuck in a Salisbury Tunnel after Sunday's (31st October) crash.
Some of the front carriages were able to leave the site last night (Wednesday 3rd November) on their own wheels.
However, there are now cranes on site to help remove the more badly damaged ones and lift them onto a lorry to take them away.
The company say it hopes to have at least one carriage lifted today but it's likely to take a couple of days to remove all parts of the trains and then a further day to break down the crane site.
Once this happens London Road will be reopened.
However, Network Rail says it will then need to carry out a "heavy refurbishment" of the railway line, which is one stop short of a complete replacement.
They're investigating potentially laying a new track through Fisherton Tunnel.
They have confirmed the line around Salisbury will be shut until at least Monday 15th November.
On Twitter, the company said:
"We have a plan but we must be clear that plan lacks firm timescales at present as we are still corralling resources and nailing down the approach."