Media centre

Wednesday 9 Dec 2015

All rail routes in the north west open for business as Cumbria coast line reopens

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

After three days of round-the-clock work by Network Rail’s orange army, the Cumbrian coast line has now fully reopened.

The Workington to Carlisle section, which was severely damaged by flooding at the weekend, re-opened at 4.05am this morning.

It follows the re-opening of the West Coast main line north of Carlisle yesterday (8 December) which was closed for three days after being submerged under eight feet of floodwater.

Debbie Francis, acting route managing director, Network Rail, said: "Trains are now running along the whole of the Cumbrian coast line and all routes are now open in the north west after the extensive damage caused over the weekend.

"The orange army has pulled out all the stops to get trains running again and get passengers and businesses on the move. I'd like to thank everyone for their patience during this difficult time.

"We know that any further rain will simply run off the top of the ground rather than soak in, so we remain on alert to tackle any further problems."

While all lines are now open a number of speed restrictions remain in place while permanent repairs are carried out in some of the worst affected areas, notably the West Coast main line north of Carlisle.

Network Rail continues to monitor the weather forecasts and have engineers ready to react to any damage or disruption that wind or rain may cause in the coming days.

Passengers should check www.nationalrail.co.uk for the latest travel advice and information.