Rail line reopens after accident

The train's three carriages were thrown from the track

The railway track between Belfast and Londonderry has reopened three weeks after a train was derailed on the line.

Services between the two cities resumed at 0600 BST on Monday.

The train driver and 12 passengers were injured when the 1250 BST Londonderry to Belfast train came off the line as it was approaching the Downhill tunnel near Castlerock in County Londonderry.

The accident is believed to have been caused by a landslide.

Peter Robinson: Cause not disputed

The driver saw a boulder on the track and applied the emergency brake, but could not stop the train in time.

Twenty-one people, including the driver, were on board the three carriages when they were derailed.

The driver, who was the most seriously hurt, was treated for leg injuries.

One of the carriages was forced onto the beach adjacent to the track.

Safety issues

A spokesman for train operating company Translink said he was satisfied the line was safe.

"The track was repaired within a matter of a week but we have taken the time to assure ourselves that it is safe to continue with operations and that there won't be further landslips from the cliffs that surround the track," said Ciaran Rogan.

"It is a relief to ourselves that we can get our services back to normal.

"People have been inconvenienced and we thank them for their patience but our primary concern was one of safety - we had to be assured that the line was safe to operate trains on."

Regional Development Minister Peter Robinson said the cause of the accident was not disputed.

"This is not an issue. Like many major cases we have had in Great Britain, where there is doubt why a derailment took place, this is not a case of having to guess why it occurred.

"It is clear the only issues are if there is any predictability about it or if it could have been stalled in some way," he said.