West Coast Mainline blocked as train derails in Cumbria
Lake EvieNorth East and Cumbria
ProvidedAn early morning train from Glasgow to London derailed after hitting a landslide, causing major disruption to the West Coast Main Line that will last for “a few days”.
The 04:28 Avanti West Coast service from Glasgow Central to London Euston at 0610 GMT derailed at Shap in Cumbria, the train operator said.
As a result, lines north of Preston and south of Carlisle were blocked, trapping passengers on either side of the accident.
The North West Ambulance Service said there were 87 people on board, including staff, and four suffered minor injuries that did not require hospital treatment.
A spokesperson for Avanti said: “There is likely to be significant disruption to our network for several days.”
The derailment also affected TransPennine Express services using the West Coast Main Line.
James Burrow, who was on the derailed shuttle, said “there was a flash and an explosion” before staff immediately notified passengers that the train had derailed.
He said he was taken off the train at 08:50 to go to the nearby Shap Wells Hotel.
“People were confused but calm,” Mr. Burrow said.
“At first we thought a car or something had hit the train.
“I was taking a photo of the train and a guy came up and said, ‘I was driving that.’
“He really is something of a hero, it could have been a lot worse.”
After being held at the hotel, the passengers were transferred to two buses, one going to London and the other to Scotland.
Campbell Watson, from Glasgow, told BBC Radio Cumbria: “I was sleeping and there was a big jolt in the train, a really big scream and then suddenly the train stopped and the power went out.
“It was a very shocking experience.”
ReutersNetwork Rail confirmed a landslide had occurred in the area before the train derailed, but was still trying to determine whether this was the cause of the train derailment.
BBC Weather presenter Helen Willetts said it was a wet weekend in Cumbria.
“There has been 77.4 mm of rain in the last three days,” he said.
“It’s a wet time of year, but this is more than a third of the rainfall expected for November.”
Shap Parish Council chief executive Jean Jackson said the “rain had been phenomenal” around Cumbria.
Considering the “steep hills” next to the railway line, I wasn’t “surprised” that there was a landslide.
There were delays last year Heavy rain caused a landslide on the same track.
Network Rail operations manager Sam MacDougall said Cumbria presented these “particular challenges” due to regional weather and topography.
Which trains were affected?
The disruption will continue at least until the end of Monday due to the blockage of lines due to the derailed train. This means:
- Southbound Avanti West Coast services from Edinburgh or Glasgow Central to London Euston will be cancelled.
- Avanti trains coming north from London will only go to Preston
- Scotrail and some Avanti trains run as far south as Carlisle
- TransPennine services from Edinburgh and Glasgow to Liverpool or Manchester will continue to Carlisle
- Services from Liverpool or Manchester will continue to Preston
TransPennine has warned that running hourly rail replacement buses between Preston and Carlisle is “difficult” due to limited bus supply.
Tickets for travel on Monday will be accepted on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Avanti and TransPennine tickets are accepted on the following services:
- LNER between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh
- Between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central with ScotRail
- By CrossCountry between Edinburgh and Birmingham New Street
- Between the North and Carlisle and Newcastle
- Between North and Preston and York
- Between Preston and Manchester Piccadilly with the Northern and TransPennine Express
On the West Coast Main Line, trains from the south could go no further than Preston, while trains from the north terminated at Carlisle.
Northern said its services in Cumbria and north Preston are currently unaffected by the closure.
‘An absolute relief’
Tim Farron, Liberal Democrat MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale, said he had spoken to Network Rail about the damage to the line and what the next steps might be.
He said he would raise the issue in the House of Commons with the transport minister and discuss the long-term infrastructure of the West Coast Main Line.
Scottish First Minister John Swinney said he was “very concerned” about the derailment and said it was an “absolute relief” that no one was injured.
It said it was in contact with the UK government to ensure everyone affected was “appropriately supported”.
