Diverted trains – Jan 2026

You may remember that for many years our route and the Settle – Carlisle was used as a diversionary route when the West Coast Mainline (WCML) was closed between Preston and Carlisle. However we haven’t seen any of that traffic for some years now.

But in January 2026 there is major engineering work planned on the WCML between Preston and Carlisle meaning that route will be closed. Just south of Penrith the railway crosses the M6 motorway and that bridge is to be replaced.

Many tasks have to be co-ordinated to allow this work but one that involves the Ribble Valley line is the running of Avanti West Coast (AWC)’s trains from Preston to Carlisle via the S&C route. To that end, a test run to show that is feasible took place in August 2025.

Since 2021 AWC have been taking delivery of Class 805 ‘Evero’ bimodal multiple units. Two of these units made up a 10 coach train which ran from Stafford to Carlisle and here is a video about that trip

and the photo leading this article is the same train passing through Clitheroe station.

It’s planned that those bimodal units will be used for these services. Incidentally, that video is on the ‘Green Signals’ Youtube channel, worth following for your regular fix of rail-related news and views.

Photos courtesy David Butterworth, Avanti West Coast, N Valentine, video courtesy Green Signals