ENGINEERS are working “round the clock” to clear a section of train track near Gillingham after a derailment on Saturday evening (28).

The 5.20pm service from London Waterloo to Yeovil Junction derailed in Bugley Tunnel after hitting a tree washed onto the line by a landslip that brought some 40 tonnes of debris onto the track.

Hundreds of passengers travelling west to Exeter and east to Salisbury for services to London are set to be caught up in rail chaos after train bosses targeted Thursday (DEC 5) to reopen the line.

Gillingham councillor, David Milsted, said the scale of the impact on Gillingham commuters would be “absolutely enormous”.

“The town has expanded enormously in recent years. We are now an extension of the London commuter belt.

“An awful lot of people travel from here to work in Salisbury, Andover, Basingstoke, and, of course, London,” said Mr Milsted.

Children travelling to The Gillingham School from Tisbury could also be effected by the closure, he added.

Saturday’s accident happened at about 7.37pm after a day of heavy rain. Emergency services, including fire crews and British Transport Police, raced to the scene, but found that passengers and staff had experienced a miracle escape.

The three-carriage South West Trains service remained upright in the tunnel, allowing about 60 passengers to be transferred onto a relief train.

Now the race is on to repair 600 sleepers damaged in the derailment and reopen the line, which serves passengers travelling between Salisbury and Exeter.

A bus service will replace services between Gillingham and Yeovil Junction. Tickets for services to London will be honoured on Great Western services from Exeter to Paddington.

Mr Milsted said ample parking for those catching replacement bus services could be found in the nearby Chantry Fields car park.

Passengers have been advised to check journey details by visiting southwesttrains.co.uk, or by calling 0871 200 49 50.