In the days of British Rail and Virgin Trains, the iconic and spectacular Settle & Carlisle railway line was used as a diversionary route whenever there were closures for engineering works or similar on the West Coast Main Line between Preston and Carlisle.
The Settle & Carlisle line has not been used for diversions for a decade however, much to the displeasure of communities along the route as well as rail enthusiasts and others who believe an opportunity is being missed to keep people on trains and avoid the dreaded rail replacement buses.
Now, there is good news. Thanks to collaboration betweenAvanti West Coast, Network Rail, Northern trains, TransPennine Express, CrossCountry, LNER and others, the Settle & Carlisle line WILL be used to run a shuttle service between Preston and Carlisle in January 2026 when both the West Coast Main Line and the M6 are closed at Clifton for the replacement of a major viaduct. On Wednesday 20 August, Avanti West Coast ran a very special test train over the Settle & Carlisle line to prove it worked and Green Signals was amongst a very select group invited on board.
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