There are expected to be no trains running today (22nd March) between Barrow-In-Furness and Lancaster following a derailment.
Rail replacement buses will be in operation and passengers may also use alternative operators to complete their journey as follows
Avanti West Coast between Carlisle and Warrington Bank Quay and TransPennine Express between Carlisle and Manchester Airport
Trains between Workington and Barrow are not affected.
If you are intending to travel, please check the latest info on the National Rail Enquiries website
“Earlier this morning, a Northern train travelling towards Barrow came off the tracks near Grange-over-Sands station. There were four customers and four Northern colleagues on board. Everyone been safely escorted from the train.
“We are focusing on supporting colleagues and customers who were involved in the incident and on minimising the disruption this incident will cause to other services. We're working closely with Network Rail and others to understand more about what happened.
“No trains are running between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster and there will be significant disruption to our services in this area. Customers should look on our website or speak to a member of our team for more information.”
Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern
We also contacted British Transport Police for comment and their spokesperson said:-
British Transport Police were called to the line near Grange-over-Sands Railway Station, Cumbria, just after 6am this morning (22 March) following reports of a train derailment.
Paramedics and Fire attended the scene, thankfully no one was injured. Officers remain at the scene and the line remains closed while the scene is being cleared and investigated.
At this rate RAIB will have to recruit more staff just to keep up with investigation of failures and incidents to the rail infrastructure and failures caused by the infrastructure owner.
So the list gets longer
Trolley left on track between Swindon and Bristol
Wiring cross at Wingfield causing red and yellow to be reversed …almost causing a Clapham 2
Scrap materials left on the track at Walton On Thames
And now a hole appears under the track at Grange Over Sands — collapsed Culvert ?
“The climate changes are producing more failures of this kind.”
There really is no evidence that “climate changes” have had any effect on railway infrastructure, but Network Rail now trot out this excuse for their failure to keep the network properly maintained. I noted they used this same excuse to explain the undermining of the support columns of the Derwent Bridge at Workington – but there have been no unusual flows in the Derwent for a number of years.
“Trains between Workington and Barrow are not affected.”
Actually, and surprisingly, a number of Workington to Barrow trains have been cancelled with the reason given as the derailment at Grange. This doesn’t make any sense to me, because Barrow to Workington trains have run as normal, so presumably they are getting to Workington and staying there – why?
I have seen pictures of the derailment and it looks like was caused by a sinkhole causing the track to move out of place. The line between Barrow in Furness and Lancaster could be closed for a while for the 195 to be removed, the track bed to be repaired and track to be replaced
I do not disagree regarding lack of investment. In this case it would appear to be a much more significant issue that will create continuing difficulties for the entire route from Lancaster Barrow Whitehaven Carlisle. That being the material used to build it. Historically speaking Ulverston to Carnforth was a late build. It used furnace waste in vast quantities because it was cheap. That slag is now melting with the passing of the years. Creating voids aplenty. The same situation ocurrs elsewhere on the route.
The embankments along the Kent and Leven estuaries were built in the early mid 1850s with a core of sand. If the outer sections of the embankment get breached in any way then holes will be caused. No furnace waste used as at the time there were few furnaces!
Less and less investment is now resulting in an increasing number of incidents.
We need a properly funded safe railway.
Said a “railway expert” with no knowledge of what the cause was! Thank you for your compassion and concern towards the train crew and passengers.
Steve is right.It is not reasonable to comment as to cause without waiting for further reports as to causation.Also right that safety of passengers and crew is paramount consideration.It is easy to use any incidents like this to make a probable political point.
My opinion, is that vast amounts have been spent on trains and infrastructure in last (say) ten years.Infrastructure failure are increasing because of age of all many lines and you can’t replace them all, just like that.The climate changes are producing more failures of this kind.