SERVICES from York train station may face further delays after animals had to be cleared from the railway line.

While the lines are no longer blocked Network Rail urged customers to prepare for changes to services affected by this afternoon's incident.

Paul Rutter, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “We’re sorry there is ongoing disruption to services on the northern part of the East Coast Main Line. It’s after animals were on the railway between Durham and Darlington this morning.

“Both lines were blocked to allow our teams to carry out safety inspections. Our priority was to safely evacuate the passengers on trains on this section of the line.

“As we work towards restoring a normal service, trains are being cancelled, delayed or diverted. If you need to travel, please check your journey via National Rail Enquiries or with your train operator.”