Shortly before 11am several of the train’s wagons, which were empty at the time, came off the track at Koolbury – a rail location between Muswellbrook and Aberdeen.

Trains stopped in the area and passenger services were transferred to buses.

The Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC) had no estimation when the rail line would reopen, as investigators inspected the damage to the track.

There were no reports of injuries.

ARTC staff were attending to level crossings in the area which had been triggered as a result of the derailment.

​“We would like to apologise to our customers for the impact on operations and the community for any inconvenience experienced as a result,” an ARTC spokesman said.