Passengers warned of disruption as train derailment affects services between Reading and London
Passengers travelling between Reading and London have been warned about ongoing disruption following an earlier train derailment.
A freight train derailed at West Ealing just after 6am on Friday 5 April.
The lines between London Paddington and Reading were shut for several hours and reopened at midday.
Although the incident took place on the track next to the main line, for safety reasons all tracks nearby were closed to check if it was safe for trains to pass.
This meant there was widespread cancellations, delays and revisions of services across the wider network.
Great Western Railway (GWR), Elizabeth line and Heathrow Express services are also being impacted.
WATCH: GWR's Communication Manager, Paul Gentleman, explains how services were affected
A Network Rail spokesperson said: "At around 6:10am this morning, three wheels of a freight train travelling onto the sidings at West Ealing came off the tracks.
"There were no injuries and we closed the adjacent lines to assess that it was safe for trains to pass. One of the lines has now reopened to passenger trains and our teams are on site preparing to start the recovery operation, beginning with the removal of the freight wagons.
"Trains between London Paddington and Reading may be cancelled, delayed or revised while we deal with the incident this morning. Passengers are advised to check their journey with National Rail Enquiries before travelling."
The disruption comes the day before strike action is due to take place.
On Saturday 6 April, there will be a reduced, revised train timetable across several operators, including GWR.
Many parts of the network will have no service at all and trains that are running will only be operating for a limited period during the day.
Due to engineering work, there will be no GWR trains between London Paddington and Reading.
WATCH: Jeremy Hunt MP and ASLEF's Mick Whelan discuss the strike action
Mick Whelan, General Secretary, ASLEF said: "Nobody wants to be out here in the rain and nobody wants to be losing money.
"Our reality is we want this resolved, nobody wants to talk to us to resolve it.
"Maybe people should be asking the questions of the employers and the government rather than us, why they are not coming to the table."
Jeremy Hunt MP, Chancellor of the Exchequer said: "Aslef is the only trade union that's on strike.
"Train drivers on average get a salary of £60,000, they've been offered £65,000. That's getting on for double the average wage in this country. It's a fair deal.
"They should get back to work and stop punishing people who are doing the right thing and actually trying to go to work and help to grow the economy."
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