Do not travel north of Preston: major disruption between Windermere / Oxenholme Lake District and Lancaster until the end of the day  

Route(s) affected

Avanti West Coast between Glasgow Central / Edinburgh and London Euston

Northern between Windermere and Oxenholme Lake District / Manchester Airport

TransPennine Express between Edinburgh and Manchester Airport, and between Glasgow Central and Manchester Airport / Liverpool Lime Street, and between Oxenholme Lake District and Manchester Airport, and between Windermere / Oxenholme Lake District and Lancaster

Description

A fault on a train in the Oxenholme Lake District area has caused damage the overhead electric wires. As a result of this, all lines are closed. Trains running between Windermere / Oxenholme Lake District and Lancaster may be cancelled, delayed by up to 90 minutes or revised.

Major disruption is expected until the end of the day.

Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express are advising not to travel north of Preston.

A visual disruption map video is now available.

Network Rail are on site and accessing the damage to the overhead electric wires.

Avanti West Coast Customer Advice

Avanti West Coast are advising customers NOT TO TRAVEL north of Preston for the remainder of the day.

If you are due to travel between Glasgow Central / Edinburgh and Preston today (Wednesday 3 September), then you can use your existing ticket via the same route until the end of the day tomorrow (Thursday 4 September).

You can use your ticket at no extra cost on the following services:

• ScotRail between Glasgow Central and Edinburgh

• LNER between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross

If your train is cancelled, your ticket is valid on one of the two Avanti West Coast services immediately before your booked train, or one of the two immediately after.

If you no longer wish to travel because your train's delayed or cancelled, you can request a full refund from where you bought your ticket.

Northern Customer Advice

Train services are unable to run between Oxenholme Lake District and Lancaster (in this direction only).

Services between Lancaster and Oxenholme can still run, but will be subject to short notice alterations, delays and cancellations.

This impacts services between Windermere and Manchester Airport.

Services between Lancaster and Barrow-in-Furness are now also subject to delays, cancellations and short notice alterations due to congestion and train crew being out of position.

Any ticket restrictions have been lifted during this disruption.

Rail replacement will run as follows:

• 1 x 16 seater and 1 full sized coach will depart Preston at 19:00, all stops to Windermere (for customers who require Staveley and Burneside please board the 16 seater), these will be operated by RSZ and Bestway.

• 1 x 16 seater and 1 full sized coach will depart Windermere at 19:30 (for customers who require Staveley and Burneside please board the 16 seater), all stops to Preston, set down to Manchester Piccadilly. These will be operated by Bestway and RAZ.

• 1 x bus will depart Oxenholme at 23:15, all stops to Preston, operated by Bestway.

Please be advised journey times will be extended by up to 30 minutes when using replacement t road transport.

TransPennine Express Customer Advice

No trains can run between Oxenholme Lake District and Lancaster in both directions.

TransPennine Express are advising DO NOT attempt to travel on the West Coast Mainline between Preston and Edinburgh / Glasgow Central in both directions.

If you are due to travel today (Wednesday 3 September), then you can use your existing ticket on another TransPennine Express service tomorrow (Thursday 4 September). You don’t need to buy a new ticket or change your existing ticket to travel tomorrow.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.

For helpful advice if you need to travel on a rail replacement service, including accessibility and bicycle information, please use our Rail Replacement Services page.

You can find the pick-up and set-down location of rail replacement services by checking station signage or by searching for your station on our Find a Station page.

Please be advised that replacement vehicles may be busier than usual, and you should allow extra time for your journey.

Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.