Service on a section of the Moscow-St. Petersburg railroad, which was damaged when a passenger train was derailed by an explosion August 13, has been fully restored, the Russian railway monopoly said Wednesday.

Russian Railways (RZD) said all passenger trains on that stretch of the line are running according to schedule, following delays of up to 10 hours that continued throughout Tuesday and Wednesday on the country`s busiest rail route.

The Nevsky Express, carrying 250 passengers, hurtled off the rails at 9:38 p.m. Moscow time (5:38 p.m. GMT) Monday, near Veliky Novgorod, about 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Moscow. Several carriages were overturned, and a two-meter (six-foot) crater was left in the track.

At least 60 people were injured in the incident, which prompted Russian prosecutors to launch a terrorist probe. Nineteen remain in the hospital, one in serious condition.

Investigators said the bomb that derailed the train had a yield of three kilograms (about seven pounds) of TNT equivalent, and identikits were compiled Tuesday of two people seen near the tracks shortly before the explosion.
sections: Society, Region News
areas: North-West region