‘Do not travel’ alert issued after freight train derails on major route between England and Scotland

A “do not travel” alert has been issued after a freight train derailed on a major route between England and Scotland.

Services are being cancelled and delayed because of the incident on the West Coast Main Line between Carlisle and Oxenholme Lake District on Wednesday night, National Rail Enquiries added.

Nobody was injured during the derailment half a day later there are still major delays for travellers.

Some lines are blocked and a very limited train service is running on the line that remains open.

Rail companies have warned of knock-on effects for the rest of the day.

Train operators Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express issued the “do not travel” alert, urging passengers not to attempt to use their services for journeys between Preston and Scotland on Thursday.

Ticket holders can delay journeys until Friday or travel with other operators. This includes on LNER services between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross, CrossCountry trains between Edinburgh and Birmingham New Street, TransPennine Express via “any reasonable route”, and ScotRail between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Avanti West Coast said.

The operator told concerned would-be travellers on social media that if they chose not to travel, they could claim refunds.

Avanti West Coast also dismissed reports that trains should run without problem after 2pm, writing on Twitter/X that “we haven’t given a time as to when this disruption is likely to end.”

Network Rail has been approached for a comment. It’s not clear what caused the derailment.

Elsewhere, buses are replacing trains between Newcastle and Hexham and Carlisle, due to a landslip in the Corbridge area, operator Northern said.

In April, train services between Reading and London Paddington were severely disrupted after a frieght train derailed on the line, leading to chaos for commuters at rush hour and causing a major impact on Elizabeth Line and Heathrow Express services.

Additional reporting by PA