Updated at: 24-Nov-2025 09:24:33: AM
Operator: Avanti West Coast
Routes affected:
Avanti West Coast between London Euston and Liverpool Lime Street / Manchester Piccadilly / Glasgow Central / Edinburgh
Northern between Manchester Airport / Preston and Barrow-on-Furness, between Manchester Airport / Manchester Oxford Road / York / Liverpool Lime Street / Blackburn and Blackpool North, between Colne and Preston, between Manchester Airport / Preston and Windermere, between Preston and Ormskirk / Blackpool South
TransPennine Express between Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central / Edinburgh and between Liverpool Lime Street and Glasgow Central
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Description of Incident
Engineering work is taking place in the Preston area from 1 – 4 January, and near Penrith from 1 – 14 January, closing some lines. Background information on the major bridge replacement work near Penrith can be found below.
Avanti West Coast:
Avanti West Coast will be running the following amended service during the engineering work:
Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 January:
- 1 train per hour between Northampton and Manchester Piccadilly (via Stoke-on-Trent)
- 1 train per hour between Rugby and Manchester Piccadilly (via Crewe)
- 1 train per hour between Rugby and Liverpool Lime Street
- 1 train per hour between Rugby and Wigan North Western (via Birmingham)
- Limited North Wales Coast service between Crewe and Holyhead
- A 2 hourly service will operate between Wigan North Western and Carlisle (via Settle, not calling)
Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 January:
- Trains between London Euston and Glasgow Central (via Nuneaton) will start / terminate at Preston
- Trains between London Euston and Glasgow Central / Edinburgh (via Birmingham New Street) will be amended to run between London Euston and Preston only
- A 2 hourly service will run between Preston and Carlisle (via Settle, not calling)
- A 2 hourly service will run between Lockerbie and Glasgow Central
- A 2 hourly service will run between Lockerbie and Edinburgh
Wednesday 7 to Saturday 10, and from Monday 12 to Wednesday 14 January:
- 1 train per hour between London Euston and Preston (via Nuneaton)
- 1 train per hour between London Euston and Preston (via Birmingham New Street)
- A 2 hourly service between Preston and Carlisle (via Settle not calling)
- A 2 hourly service between Carlisle and Glasgow Central
- A 2 hourly service between Carlisle and Edinburgh
Sunday 11 January:
- 1 train per hour between Rugby and Manchester Piccadilly (via Crewe)
- 1 train per hour between Rugby and Liverpool Lime Street
- 1 train per hour between Rugby and Preston (via Birmingham New Street)
- 1 train per hour between Northampton and Manchester Piccadilly (via Stoke-on-Trent)
- A 2 hourly service will run between Preston and Carlisle (via Settle, not calling)
- A 2 hourly service between Carlisle and Glasgow Central
- A 2 hourly service between Carlisle and Edinburgh
Northern:
Thursday 1 and Friday 2 January:
Trains between Manchester Airport and Preston / beyond will start / terminate at Buckshaw Parkway. Buses will operate between Buckshaw Parkway and Ormskirk / Blackpool North.
Trains between Liverpool Lime Street / Wigan North Western / Blackpool North will run to a reduced timetable between Liverpool Lime Street and Wigan North Western. Buses will be provided between Wigan North Western and and Preston (operated by Avanti West Coast), Northern customers can use these buses at no extra cost.
Trains between York / Leeds and Blackpool North will terminate / start from Blackburn. Buses will be provided between Blackburn and Preston and between Preston and Blackpool North.
Trains between Colne and Preston will start / terminate at Bamber Bridge. Buses will be provided between Blackburn and Preston.
Trains between Preston and Ormskirk will not run. Buses will operate between Buckshaw Parkway and Ormskirk via Preston.
Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 January:
Buses will replace trains between:
- Blackburn and Preston
- Preston and Blackpool North
- Buckshaw Parkway and Ormskirk (via Preston)
Trains will continue to run between Blackburn and Bamber Bridge.
Ticket acceptance:
You can use your tickets at no extra cost on replacement buses between:
- Preston and Lancaster (operated by TransPennine Express)
- Wigan North Western and Preston (operated by Avanti West Coast)
Monday 5 to Wednesday 14 January:
Northern services are not affected by these engineering works on these days.
TransPennine Express:
Thursday 1 to Sunday 4 January:
Trains will run between Manchester Airport and Buckshaw Parkway. A replacement bus service will run between Buckshaw Parkway and Preston / Lancaster. A replacement bus service will also operate between Oxenholme Lake District and Carlisle, calling at Penrith North Lakes.
Monday 5 to Wednesday 14 January:
An hourly train service will run between Manchester Airport and Oxenholme. Trains from to Liverpool Lime Street will start / terminate at Preston. A replacement bus service will also operate between Oxenholme Lake District and Carlisle, calling at Penrith North Lakes.
Background information:
Network Rail is investing £60m to replace Clifton Bridge near Penrith so it can continue to safely carry passenger and freight trains over one of Britain’s busiest motorways.
The railway bridge, between junctions 39 and 40 of the M6, is being replaced because, at 60-years old, weight restrictions on the current structure mean it can only carry one train at a time, causing delays to train services. Once in situ, the new bridge will allow services to pass over the motorway safely and reliably, without restrictions, to the benefit of passengers, freight and road users travelling through Cumbria.
More information on this project is available on the Network Rail website.
Footnote: To keep customers moving on trains across the North West and into Scotland, Avanti West Coast are running a shuttle train service every two hours between either Wigan North Western or Preston and Carlisle non-stop via the Settle – Carlisle line. This historic 73-mile-long railway line, which will be used as a West Coast Main Line diversionary route for the first time in over 10 years, crosses the picturesque Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines, boasting miles of scenic countryside views from the train window.
Check before you travel:
You can plan your journey using the National Rail Enquiries Journey Planner
Replacement bus travel advice:
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.
For the very latest National Rail information click here.
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This page created on: 29-Oct-2025 10:48:14: AM