Rail services from Milton Keynes to the North affected by derailment in Cumbria

Train services heading from Milton Keynes to northern England and Scotland have been disrupted by a major derailment in Cumbria.

The incident happened when an Avanti West Coast train travelling from Glasgow to London derailed at around 6:15am this morning (03/11). The train is believed to have hit debris on the track caused by a landslip after heavy rain in the area, which was located near the village of Shap around 15 miles south of Penrith station.

Four passengers on the train were treated for minor injuries, with all of the people onboard the train evacuated to a nearby hotel.

All of the 11 carriages of the affected train remained upright, although the first carriage of the train came off the track and was damaged in the incident.

While an investigation is carried out, the derailed train is moved and the tracks fixed, no trains are running between Preston and Carlisle stations. This has caused disruption to some services as far as Milton Keynes and London, with direct trains linking MK with Carlisle and Glasgow unable to progress beyond Preston station.

Network Rail have said they anticipate disruption to continue until at least Wednesday (05/11), with a do not travel advisory in place for passengers aiming to travel on routes that include the affected section between Preston and Carlisle.

Avanti West Coast confirmed that ticket acceptance is in place on alternative routes with alternative operators, including LNER, ScotRail, CrossCounty and Northern where applicable.

Managing Director for Avanti West Coast, Andy Mellors, said, “Our main priority is the safety and wellbeing of our customers and colleagues following this serious incident.

“I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude for the actions of our colleagues onboard which has been warmly received and appreciated by customers.

“I would also like to thank our staff who responded, the emergency services, Network Rail and the local hotel who laid on facilities for everyone onboard. We are now ensuring we provide support to those affected.”