23 January 2013 Last updated at 14:45 ET

Train derails and catches fire in Salford

Around 40 firefighters attended the fire, which started in the train's rear locomotive

A chartered passenger train has derailed and caught fire in Salford.

Fire crews were called to the incident near Regent Road at around 14:30 GMT after the rear diesel locomotive of the West Coast Railways train caught fire.

A British Transport Police spokesman said the driver of the train was "safe and well".

All train services are suspended between Manchester Piccadilly and both Preston and Newton-Le-Willows.

A spokesman for Network Rail said routes were "severely impacted" and it would be "some time" before normal services resumed.

He said it was unclear how much damage had been caused but that the "most important thing is to get the locomotive out of the way so we can start to carry out the relevant repairs".

The train, which was made up of two class 47 diesel locomotives and five coaches, had been travelling from Ardwick in Manchester to Carnforth in Lancashire.

Regent Road was closed to traffic while emergency services dealt with the incident, but has since reopened.

British Transport Police said an investigation had been launched to find out how the derailment occured

A British Transport Police (BTP) spokesman said part of the train had "derailed from the rail line but remains upright".

"No passengers were on board the train at the time of incident and the driver is safe and well," he said.

Three other people who were on board, including the train's engineer, also escaped injury.

The BTP spokesman added that the Rail Accident Investigation Branch had been informed and "officers, along with other emergency services and agencies, will be working to establish the full circumstances".