A 12-year-old schoolgirl whose arm was severed by a high-speed train may regain the use of her limb, surgeons have said.
Rebecca Huitson was with three friends at a level-crossing just north of Newcastle when she was dealt a "glancing blow" by the 110mph Edinburgh to London train on Monday evening.
Her left arm was torn off by the impact and found nearby at the Killingworth level crossing. The schoolgirl was taken to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), where surgeons worked through the night to reattach the limb. She has since endured a further operation leaving medical staff satisfied her arm may have been saved.
Parents Julie and Lee, of Brunswick Village, Newcastle, have kept a bedside vigil since she was admitted.
A spokesman for the hospital said the initial six-hour surgery to reattach the limb had been a success. The second operation, on Wednesday, confirmed the reattached arm "remained viable", the spokesman said.
The youngster is currently being cared for on a paediatric ward at the RVI, where she is in a stable and comfortable condition.
The spokesman said: "Rebecca is awake and talking to her parents and nursing staff. She will require further surgery over the forthcoming weeks. Her progress will be monitored closely.
"Rebecca's parents wish to express their thanks to the paramedics and the police force who acted efficiently at the scene. They also wanted to thank the nursing and medical staff at the hospital for Rebecca's care so far. It is a difficult time for the family and they have asked for their privacy to be respected at present."
A number of messages of support for the schoolgirl have been posted online after friends set up a page entitled "We all send our love to Rebecca Huitson" on Facebook, the social networking site.
One user, Rhianne Cruickshank, had posted on the page: "My heart goes out to your family. Hope you pull through this."