Disruptions & planned work

Engineering work is taking place between Preston and Lancaster, closing all lines until 13:45. Avanti West Coast / Northern: Buses will replace trains between Preston and Lancaster until 13:45 on Friday. TransPennine Express: Until 13:45, trains between Manchester Airport and Liverpool Lime Street / Edinburgh will run between Manchester Airport and Preston only. Trains between Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central will run a reduced service between Lancaster / Carlisle and Glasgow Central. After 13:45, these trains will run between Manchester Airport and Carlisle only. Rail replacement buses will run between Preston and Lancaster. Check before you travel: You can plan your journey using the National Rail Journey Planner . Replacement bus travel advice: 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 drop-off 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.

From 1 Jan 2027, 00:00 · Until 1 Jan 2027, 23:59 · Source changed 13 Oct 2026, 09:43

Operators: Avanti West Coast, Northern, TransPennine Express

Engineering work is taking place between Heald Green and Manchester Airport, closing all lines. Northern: Trains between: Blackpool North and Manchester Airport will run between Blackpool North and Manchester Piccadilly only Windermere / Barrow-in-Furness and Manchester Airport will run between Windermere / Barrow-in-Furness and Manchester Oxford Road only Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport will run between Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Victoria Replacement buses will run between Bolton / Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. TransPennine Express: Trains between Glasgow Central / Edinburgh and Manchester Airport will be amended to run between Glasgow Central / Edinburgh and Manchester Piccadilly only. Trains between Redcar Central and Manchester Airport will run between Redcar Central and Manchester Victoria only. Replacement buses will run between Manchester Victoria / Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. Transport for Wales: No trains will run between Manchester Piccadilly and Manchester Airport. You can use your ticket at no extra cost on local bus and tram services. Check before you travel: You can plan your journey using the National Rail Journey Planner . You can plan your journey on local buses / trams by using the Transport for Greater Manchester website . Replacement bus travel advice: 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 drop-off 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.

From 6 Dec 2026, 00:00 · Until 6 Dec 2026, 23:59 · Source changed 9 Oct 2026, 12:58

Operators: Northern, TransPennine Express, Transport for Wales

During pre-planned engineering work in 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. Customer advice: Service impact Train services are running between Lancaster / Barrow-in-Furness and Corkickle, and also between Whitehaven and Carlisle. Buses will replace trains between Corkickle and Whitehaven. Please speak to station staff, see online journey planners or consult customer information screens for departure times of these buses. Journey times may be extended by up to 60 minutes whilst travelling by road transport. Ticket acceptance If the train you have a ticket for is cancelled, you can travel on any Northern or TransPennine Express service 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 2025, Network Rail carried out assessments and surveys inside Bransty Tunnel ahead of planned full track and drainage renewal that was scheduled to take place during August and September . This involved doing surveys to assess any weight limits 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 will take is still being worked on. Check before you travel: You can check your journey using the National Rail Journey Planner . 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.

From 9 Dec 2025, 00:00 · Until 15 May 2027, 23:59 · Source changed 8 Oct 2026, 10:54

Operators: Northern