EUROSTAR has announced that it cannot restore its service to Belgium before next Monday, as work continues to clear the line south of Brussels where two commuter trains collided, killing at least 18 people and injuring more than 50 others.

The crash at 08.30 local time (07.30 GMT) on Monday was 15km south west of Brussels, and is now being described as a 'lateral' collision. It's believed that one of the trains involved had passed a red signal. One of the drivers survived, although so far his injuries have prevented investigators from interviewing him.

The Belgian infrastructure owner Infrabel is taking part in a major inquiry which also involves the operator SNCB and the public prosecutor's office. An area around the crash scene near Halle has been sealed off. High Speed lines through the area had also been blocked, but limited services are now running again between Brussels and Paris.

Belgian railway staff have been staging unofficial strikes since the crash, and calling for an urgent extension of train protection systems. Their action has added to the disruption of domestic Belgian train services between Brussels and the French border.

Eurostar is continuing to advise passengers not to attempt to travel from London to Belgium before next week. Its trains are reaching Lille, from where a coach shuttle is providing a road link to Brussels for passengers whose journeys are ‘essential’. Eurostar services between London and Paris are running normally.