A packed Glasgow-bound train derailed last night, killing one passenger and injuring 76.

Seven of the casualties were said to be in a critical condition. They were admitted to the Royal Preston Hospital, in Lancashire.

A further four passengers were seriously hurt, and four "very poorly" injured were expect to arrive at Royal Lancaster Infirmary.

The Lancaster hospital confirmed last night that one of the victims had died but would not give more details.

A Virgin spokesman said of the death: "Obviously it is very sad news and, of course, our thoughts are with the relatives of that person at this time."

A spokesman for Cumbria ambulance service added that there were 65 walking wounded.

She said 12 ambulance vehicles attended the scene. "We have reports of various injuries, from leg injuries to back injuries and head injuries - ranging from minor to quite serious," she said.

The accident happened in Cumbria on a stretch of track where inter-city trains regularly travel at 95mph.

The 5.15pm Virgin service from London Euston to Glasgow Central left the rails on the West Coast main line near Little Docket Cottage at Grayrigg near Kendal.

A number of the Pendolino "tilting" train's carriages ended up at the foot of an embankment. Others were upended or turned on their side.

The train was said to have left London with around 200 passengers. There were 72 seats reserved all the way through to Glasgow on the crashed train, British Transport Police said.

Industry sources said they thought the cause was most likely to be a landslip or broken rail.

Even before emergency services arrived, uninjured passengers who had managed to get out of the train, helped to rescue others who had been hurt.

Ambulance services said many people had been injured, some slightly, others more seriously. The front two carriages bore the brunt of the crash.

Between six and eight people, including the driver, were trapped inside and had to be freed by firefighters using special equipment.

Cumbria ambulance service said later all nine carriages of the train had derailed, and one was still half-on and half-off the tracks. Emergency workers were having difficulty reaching the trapped passengers because power lines had come down, a spokeswoman said.

British Transport Police Scotland said a family liaison centre - phone number 0800 0560146 - had been set up at Glasgow Central station for anyone worried about friends or relatives.

The emergency services were called at 8.16pm. A BTP spokeswoman said the train had crashed between Oxenholme and Tebay.

A NetworkRail official confirmed later that the speed limit on the stretch was 95mph.

A Cumbria fire and rescue service spokesman said their full available resources were being deployed to the area.

Barrie Neilson, of RAF Kinloss, said there were three helicopters at the site but that no-one was having to be winched from the crash spot. Five people had been flown to Lancaster and Carlisle hospitals.

Asked how long it would take to transport someone to hospital by helicopter, Flight Sergeant Tim Dickinson from RAF Kinloss estimated that it would take 10 minutes to transfer people from Kendal to Carlisle.

NHS Dumfries and Galloway said staff at its main hospital, which is 90 miles away, were on standby to help deal with injuries.

A spokesman at the health board said: "We are not treating anyone from the train crash at the moment, but we are on standby."

Cumberland Infirmary, in Carlisle, also confirmed it had been alerted about the derailment and was ready to treat injured passengers.

The train had been due to arrive in Glasgow Central at 9.54pm.

Staff from Network Rail and Virgin Trains were standing at the entrance to platform 1, dealing with any queries from passengers.

A warning sign was flashed up on the departures board, saying: "Due to operational difficulties all Virgin services are subject to delay or cancellation."

Supt Ronnie Mellis of Glasgow Transport Police said Virgin was trying to transport passengers from the crash site direct to their homes or other locations in Scotland.

Donald Potter, whose home backs on to the train track, said he heard a loud noise which lasted for 10 seconds.

He said: "My house is only about 120 yards from the track and I was sitting at my desk when I heard a very strange sound. It was completely unidentifiable, like nothing I have ever heard before, and lasted for about 10 seconds.

"About 10 minutes later it came on the radio that there had been a crash in Cumbria just north of Oxenholme and I realised that must have been it.

"I opened my door and I could see an engine on its side. There were already a lot of emergency vehicles parked down the lane, they got here awfully quickly."