Buses replace trains between Sellafield and Whitehaven until further notice 

Route(s) affected

Between Lancaster / Barrow-in-Furness and Carlisle

Description

During pre-planned engineering work at Bransty Tunnel, between Corkickle and Whitehaven, inspections revealed unstable ground conditions which require urgent repair. As a result, the line through the tunnel is closed.

Buses will replace trains between Sellafield and Whitehaven.

Disruption is expected until further notice.

Customer advice:

Service impact

Train services between Lancaster / Barrow-in-Furness and Carlisle will terminate at Sellafield and then restart between Whitehaven and Carlisle.

Train services between Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness / Lancaster will terminate at Whitehaven and then restart at Sellafield.

Rail replacement transport

Replacement buses are running between Sellafield and Whitehaven, in both directions. Please note that journey times may be extended by up to 60 minutes when travelling using rail replacement transport.

Nethertown and Braystones stations are not served by rail replacement buses. The closest stations which will be served by buses are Sellafield or St Bees.

If you are travelling to / from Nethertown or Braystones, please contact Nothern Customer Services on 0800 200 6060, through Twitter (X) @northernassist or speak to station staff at staffed stations who can can help you with alternative travel arrangements.

Ticket acceptance

You can use your ticket on Avanti West Coast and TransPennine Express services between Lancaster and Carlisle at no extra cost.

Northern ticket restrictions have been lifted during this disruption so that you may travel via any reasonable route.

Additionally, if the train you have a ticket for is cancelled, you can travel on any Northern or TransPennine Express within two hours before or after your cancelled service was due to depart. This is at no extra cost, and does not require you to amend your ticket.

Additional information:

At the end of July, Network Rail carried out assessments and surveys inside Bransty Tunnel ahead of the planned full track and drainage renewal due to take place during August and September.

This involved doing surveys to assess any weight limits needed for the heavy machinery needed for the planned renewals. These surveys uncovered some areas under the railway which need strengthening before any work can progress.

After assessing the initial survey data by specialist expert engineers, Network Rail has closed Bransty Tunnel to all trains until further notice.

The exact time frame for how long these repairs and subsequent track improvements are still being worked through.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey up to and including Friday 29 August using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner. For journeys on Saturday 30 August and beyond, please check back later.

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.

Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.