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London Overground passengers face a wait of several weeks before a section of the line can be reopened after a freight train derailed.

The derailment of the freight train at Wanstead Park on January 23 has already led to a suspension between South Tottenham and Barking stations on the Gospel Oak to Barking Line lasting more than two weeks.

The route is now not expected to open for several more weeks after 2.5 miles of damage were caused to the tracks.

A rail replacement bus service has been provided between Walthamstow Central and Barking calling at Leyton Midland Road, Leytonstone High Road (Harrow Green), Wanstead Park and Woodgrange Park to allow passengers to complete their journey while repairs are underway.

The driver did not even realise one of the wheels on his 22 carriage freight train had derailed until the Barking system indicated there was an issue.

The train was travelling through East London at around 6am and caused damage between Wanstead Park and Walthamstow Queen's Road after just one wheel set on the 16th carriage derailed.

(Image: Network Rail)

The steel rails have cracked, broken or had chunks fall off across the line, while the wooden and concrete sleepers under the tracks have also been smashed by the weight and force of the train, leaving them totally unsafe for other trains to use.

The damage was so extensive that Network Rail will have to replace 39 pieces of rail, each 216 metres long as well as

5,300 concrete sleepers

900 wooden sleepers

Removing and replacing 10,000 tonnes of ballast during the track replacement

Replacing custom-timbers at 10 bridges.

(Image: Network Rail)

Engineers have been working on the site for weeks but the schedule for all the works needed is yet to be announced. The work is likely to take several weeks, with some sections of the link requiring custom-made replacements.

On Friday (February 7), Network Rail said all the damaged rail had been replaced and engineers had started laying down the concrete sleepers.

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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.”