Runaway train hurtles across the outback

A huge runaway train laden with iron ore had to be derailed remotely after speeding through the Australian outback for almost an hour.

The 268-wagon train started on its solo journey when the driver left his cab to carry out an inspection — and was soon hurtling along at up to 110km/h.

Mining giant BHP, which owns the four-locomotive train, decided to derail it before it reached the town of Port Hedland, near its Western Australia Pilbara site, and flicked the points.

The train crashed off the rails, damaging around 1,500m of tracks.