COMMUTERS across the region are facing hours of delays until at least 10.30pm tonight after a derailed freight train causes chaos at Eastleigh Station.

The large freight train derailed from the tracks at Eastleigh Station at 11.32am this morning and commuters have been facing long delays and cancellations ever since.

The incident is affecting services between London Waterloo, Southampton, Bournemouth and Weymouth.

Now, Network Rail have said that delays are expected to continue well into the night and investigations are ongoing to find out the cause of the incident.

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "Given the size of the freight train, there is likely to be delays until at least 10.30pm tonight. At the moment there are just delays but this could potentially lead to cancellations.

"The incident took place on platform two at around 11.32am, and this platform is still closed. We are still investigating how the incident happened."

This comes after three carriages derailed from the track this morning as the train slowly began to leave Eastleigh Station.

Ex railway worker Derik Everson saw the incident took place and was one of the first people to contact the police.

The 53-year-old said: "I was walking on the road outside the station and saw that as it pulled away from the station normally, all of a sudden it started to come off the track.

"Three wagons derailed, the sound was horrendous and there was lots of smoke.

"The driver did well to stop and control it but now so many trains are cancelled because the lines are closed. Someone told me the train hit the electrical rail and it jumped up but I don't know if that's true."

Another resident who didn't want to be named added: "I thought it was a massive problem with the train it was really loud and there was tonnes of smoke."

Network Rail and British Transport Police are both on the scene and it is not yet known how the freight train will be moved.

A British Transport Police spokesperson said that while no one was injured at the scene, "disruption is likely for the rest of the day" and residents have been advised to avoid the area if possible.

Shortly after the incident, South Western Railway organised replacement road transport to convey passengers between Basingstoke and Southampton.