The driver of a train that derailed, leading to his death and that of the train’s pilot, had pages of written instructions in his cab about a track diversion at what would be the scene of the crash, sources close to the investigation have confirmed.

The documents stated the XPT Sydney-Melbourne train would be diverted via a passing loop at Wallan and advised the driver to lower his speed to 15km/h.

However, train driver John Kennedy was travelling at more than 100km/h when he approached the loop where the train derailed. The accident also left 11 people injured.

It is unclear whether he or the train's pilot, Sam Meintanis, were aware of the contents of the two documents.