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Thursday 15 Jan 2026

First trains run across new £60m bridge as West Coast Main Line reopens

Region & Route:

North West & Central

| North West & Central: North West

Rail passengers are being thanked for their patience as the West Coast Main Line fully reopened today with the completion of multiple journey improving projects carried out since the start of 2026.

This morning (Thursday 15 January) train services were running again along the northern half of Britain’s busiest mixed-use passenger and freight route after 14 days of essential upgrades.

The biggest of all was the replacement of a 4,200-tonne, 130-metre-long bridge over the M6 just south of Penrith in Cumbria.

Footage has been released of the first services travelling over the new £60m structure following its ambitious demolition and replacement in just a fortnight.

That saw an unprecedented closure of two of Britain’s busiest transport arteries – both the West Coast Main Line and M6 – for the huge feat of civil engineering to take place.

Over the first two weekends of the year, the motorway was completely closed between junctions 39 and 40 so Network Rail and its principal contractor Skanska could demolish then replace Clifton railway bridge.

• Weekend 1: Impressive time-lapse released of railway bridge demolition over M6
• Weekend 2: M6 opens half a day early after successful railway bridge installation

At certain points during the closure, a 115-mile stretch of the West Coast Main Line was free from train traffic.

That provided Network Rail teams with the perfect access to carry out dozens of other journey improving projects between Preston and the Scottish border.

The biggest schemes included:

• The completion of a £61m modernisation of railway signalling in Carlisle
• Nearly 70km of overhead lines which power trains replaced through Shap and Tebay
• Installation of rockfall protection through Shap cutting
• New signalling gantries and signals installed at Preston station

More than 60 other smaller upgrades also made the most of this once-in-a-generation closure of the West Coast Main Line north.

Doing all the work at the same time both reduces future disruption for passengers and is more cost effective for the taxpayer.

During the upgrades, Network Rail and Avanti West Coast worked closely to keep customers on trains for as much of their journeys as possible by running a special shuttle service on the historic Settle to Carlisle line - the first time in a decade that diversionary route has been used.

Christian Irwin OBE, Network Rail Capital Delivery director for the North West and Central region, said: “We have used this vital 14-day closure to make the biggest possible impact on the West Coast Main Line with multiple major upgrades now completed. As a result of the hard work of hundreds of our colleagues, both passengers and our freight operators will have a more reliable railway for generations to come.

"We have worked closely with National Highways and train operators to limit the disruption to road and rail users while the M6 bridge replacement has taken place. I’d like to thank them and local communities impacted by the diversionary routes and those close to our construction site while we carried out this project to secure the future of not one, but two nationally important transport links."

Chris Liptrot, Avanti West Coast operations director, said: “We’d like to thank customers for their patience and understanding while Network Rail replaced the rail bridge at Clifton. This vital upgrade will make journeys reliable for decades to come. We’re pleased to have kept rail travel open for the North West throughout these major works with our services on the Settle and Carlisle line and appreciate the support of industry partners in making this possible.”

Andrew McClements, TransPennine Express customer experience & transformation director, said: “We’re grateful for our customers' understanding while this essential work took place. The improvements delivered during this closure will make a real difference for passengers who rely on the West Coast Main Line, supporting more reliable journeys right across the North."

The opening today of the northern section of the West Coast Main Line follows further multi-million-pound investments of the southern stretch between Northampton and Milton Keynes over Christmas.

That saw a £26m overhaul of a major railway junction which serves up to 500 trains a day, upgrades to station platforms in Milton Keynes and Wolverton, a bridge upgrade in Stafford and land stabilisation work in Northamptonshire.

In total, the Christmas and New Year work has seen a combined investment of nearly £200m along the West Coast Main Line, which forms part of a much larger £400m investment over the next four years.

For further updates on Network Rail's West Coast Main Line improvement work, you can follow them on its Network Rail North West & Central region LinkedIn page, on X @NetworkRailWCML or on Instagram @NetworkRailNWC.

To plan rail journeys in advance please use www.nationalrail.co.uk for the latest travel information.