A stricken train which came off the tracks and crashed into undergrowth could be removed in the next few days.

Engineers are working on a “complex” recovery plan to rerail the high-speed Southeastern Javelin unit following the incident in Ramsgate last Thursday evening.

A spokesman for Network Rail said it is hoped the train will be removed at the weekend but the plan remains a “work in progress” and details about how it will take place are not yet confirmed.

They added while teams hope to carry it out at the weekend, a definite date has not been set.

The stranded unit is not currently affecting scheduled services as it is located on a siding a few hundred yards down the line from Ramsgate station.

It is located under the Manston Road bridge and over the weekend the train was daubed with graffiti within days of the crash.

This is now the subject of a police inquiry after rail operator Southeastern reported the incident to British Transport Police.

Further details of the cause of the crash have not yet been revealed but an investigation is being carried out to establish the full facts.

A spokesperson for the Southeastern-Network Rail Alliance said: "We are working together on a plan to remove the train from the siding at a time that will have the least impact on customers.

“We will share further information once this has been arranged. In the meantime, services continue to run normally through the area.

“Investigations into the cause of the derailment are ongoing. This is led by Network Rail.”

No injuries were reported and the initial incident caused major delays in the area.

The train was not in service at the time and was travelling at a “low speed” while in a depot area near Ramsgate railway station.