RAILWAY bosses today put up a £2,000 reward as they hunt for vandals who tried to derail a train.

The thugs struck exactly a week ago, throwing a heavy 16 foot piece of steel weighing a third of a tonne across tracks between Atherton and Hag Fold railway stations in a deliberate attempt to cause mayhem.

In the early hours a Manchester Airport to Blackpool North passenger train, travelling at 60 miles an hour, smashed into the rail and narrowly avoided coming off the tracks.

Luckily just one of the 16 passengers on board was injured. The woman was released from the Royal Bolton Hospital later that day after receiving treatment for whiplash injuries.

Now Railtrack chiefs have offered the reward as British Transport Police continue to investigate the incident.

Last Saturday a BTP spokesman confirmed patrols would be stepped up in the Atherton, Hag Fold and Daisy Hill area to prevent further attacks, following a history of stone-throwing incidents along the track.

Announcing details of the reward today a police spokesman said: "This could have had very serious consequences for those travelling on the train and living nearby if the train had been derailed. We are treating this as a very serious incident."

The early morning train service had been diverted onto the Atherton stretch of line because of engineering works at Lostock.

After crashing into the rail the engine managed to come to a halt a few hundred yards further on, with the rail jammed under the front carriages.

Police believe a gang was responsible for the vandalism because the rail would have been too heavy for one person to move alone.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the BTP's confidential hotline on 0800 405040, Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or GMP on 0161 872 5050.