THOUSANDS of York rail passengers faced major travel chaos today after a freight train derailed near Doncaster.

Rail officials confirmed the derailment, which happened just before 3am, would close the busy East Coast Main Line all day between York and Doncaster.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said Virgin services were being diverted through Leeds and special bus shuttle services to Leeds had been introduced for GNER passengers.

The EWS freight train wagon derailed at 2.43am at Joan Croft Junction, at Thorpe-in-Balne, near Askern.

A Network Rail spokeswoman said one wagon in the middle section of the train derailed on a freight loop line, knocking the front of the train onto the main line and damaging a set of points.

She said: "It was a minor derailment. One set of wheels on the 17th wagon out of 27 derailed and blocked a junction on the East Cost Main Line. This means we can't run services at all between Doncaster and York today."

Engineers were working on site and a crane was being used to lift the wagon.

Sergeant Mark Heap, of British Transport Police, said nobody was injured and there were no suspicious circumstances.

Updated: 10:36 Friday, November 05, 2004