Inspectors investigating the cause of a high-speed rail crash in Cumbria are expected to focus on a set of points when they present their preliminary findings yesterday.

Officials from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch have been concentrating on the points, south of where the Glasgow-bound train left the tracks on Friday evening.

An elderly woman was killed in the crash and several other passengers were seriously injured after the Virgin Pendolino tilting train derailed at 95 mph in a remote country area, scattering carriages down a steep embankment. ?We are expecting ... it to be something to do with the points, but that has yet to be finally confirmed,? Network Rail Chief Executive John Armitt told reporters. Over the weekend, Network Rail checked 700 sets of points in the area of the crash and on other high speed lines, but found no other problems.

The West Coast Main Line would probably remain closed for another 10 days and up to a maximum of two weeks, Armitt said. It would take two or three days just to construct a steel road across soggy fields to move a crane to the crash site.