News Beat
Trains cancelled to Lake District amid extreme weather
The Met Office issued a yellow weather warning for wind and rain in Cumbria from 6pm on Saturday until 6pm on Monday.
But this will turn into an amber warning for parts of the county between 6am and 6pm on Sunday (December 14).
The Met Office said that heavy and persistent rainfall is expected to lead to some flooding, with fast-flowing or deep floodwater likely, causing a danger to life.
Spray and flooding will likely lead to difficult driving conditions on key routes towards the Lake District, including the M6 and the A65.
Network Rail has said trains will run at reduced speeds in some areas on Sunday and Monday, and a number of services have been cancelled as a further precaution.
What services have been cancelled?
The following services will not run, and no rail replacement services will be offered, from start of service on Sunday until 6pm on Monday:
- Carlisle – Carnforth
- Oxenholme – Windermere
- Carnforth – Skipton
- Carlisle – Skipton
- Barrow – Lancaster/Preston
- Corkickle – Barrow
- Lancaster – Morecambe
Network Rail has advised that safety measures will continue to be reviewed and updated as necessary.
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Phil James, North West route director, said: “We are expecting extremely heavy rain and winds in Cumbria and parts of Lancashire, which could disrupt the railway.
“Our top priority is keeping passengers and staff safe, and we’re working hard behind the scenes to prepare.
“Teams are carrying out extra inspections and putting contingency plans in place, with staff ready to respond quickly to flooding.
“We’ll be monitoring conditions closely and doing everything we can to keep people moving safely.”
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Andy McClements, customer experience and transformation director at TransPennine Express, said: “With poor weather forecast, we are asking all customers planning to travel through Cumbria to check carefully before heading to the station, as we will be running an amended timetable.
“We also expect that many of the services we are able to run in the area will be disrupted – often at short notice.
“Trains that do run are likely to extremely busy given the time of year and the reduced number of services in operation.”
