Rail services between England and Scotland are facing major disruption after an Avanti West Coast train derailed early this morning near Shap in Cumbria.
The incident involved the 04:28 Avanti West Coast service from Glasgow to London Euston, which was reported to have derailed at around 06:10. Emergency services are attending the scene, and Avanti West Coast has confirmed that there are no reports of injuries at this stage.
In a statement, an Avanti West Coast spokesperson said:At 06.10hrs today, 3 November, the 04:28 Avanti West Coast service from Glasgow to Euston was reported to have derailed at Shap in Cumbria.
Our priority is the wellbeing of everyone who was onboard and getting them safely off the train. We are assisting emergency services who are on the scene.
As a result, all lines are blocked north of Preston. Please do not attempt to travel north of Preston today.
We’ll provide further information in due course, but it is likely there will be significant disruption to our network for a number of days.
Network Rail engineers and emergency responders remain on site. The cause of the derailment has not yet been confirmed, but a landslip remains part of the investigation.
All lines north of Preston are currently closed, and passengers are being advised not to attempt travel on that section of the West Coast Main Line. Services south of Preston are operating but subject to delays and cancellations.
Customers holding tickets for journeys north of Preston dated 3 November will be able to use them tomorrow, 4 November, on any Avanti West Coast service via the same route. Ticket acceptance has also been arranged with other operators, including:
- LNER services between London King’s Cross and Edinburgh
- ScotRail services between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central
- CrossCountry services between Edinburgh and Birmingham New Street
Avanti West Coast notes that further updates will be provided as more information becomes available.
