Passengers carrying luggage had to clamber down ladders on to the tracks and then back up on to the rescue train that arrived alongside.

BBC: Delayed passengers arrive at St Pancras

The train is the Ghan, a long-established service that runs up (and down) the centre of Australia from one coast to another on a three-day trip of almost 2, 000 miles.

BBC: Five unforgettable rail journeys