Train derails in Cumbria, all lines north of Preston blocked
All 87 passengers including train staff have been safely escorted off the train
Last updated 3rd Nov 2025
Emergency services have been called to a train derailment near Shap in Cumbria this morning (3rd November).
All 87 passengers including train staff on board the train have been safely escorted off.
Four people have suffered minor injuries.
That's after the front carriage came off the tracks but remained upright, a British Transport police spokesperson said.
It's believed to have been derailed due to a landslip in the area, which had been affected by heavy rainfall.
Major disruption is expected for a number of days.
Train passengers are being urged not to travel north of Preston today, as all lines are blocked.
An Avanti Coast spokesperson said, "At 06.10hrs today, 3 November, the 04:28 Avanti West Coast service from Glasgow to Euston was reported to have derailed at Shap in Cumbria.
"As a result, all lines are blocked north of Preston. Please do not attempt to travel north of Preston today.
"We’ll provide further information in due course, but it is likely there will be significant disruption to our network for a number of days."
The train had derailed between Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District.
The Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander has said it's been declared a "major incident", but there are currently no reported casualties.
The North West Ambulance service were triaging and offering welfare to all involved.
All 87 patients they assessed have been discharged from the nearby rest centre.
A spokesperson said, "We can now confirm that we have stood down from major incident status and are withdrawing resources from the scene.
"Our colleagues have assessed a total of 87 patients, with only four suffering minor injuries.
"No one required further hospital treatment, and all were discharged from the nearby rest centre.
"An operation remains in place with our partners as they continue to recover the scene."
A Network Rail spokesperson said, "All passengers have now been evacuated following this morning's train derailment near Shap in Cumbria. There are no major injuries to passengers or staff.
"The incident followed a suspected landslip in the area which has been experiencing significant adverse weather conditions and extremely heavy rainfall continues to compound the issue.
"Our dedicated teams are working to get trains back up and running as quickly as we can. We are working with the Rail Accident Investigation Branch to establish the cause of the derailment.
"Right now, we’re unable to run trains between Preston and Carlisle. We’re urging passengers to check with their train operator or National Rail Enquiries for the latest information.
"This incident will cause disruption for the rest of the day but we are working to reopen the line as soon as it is safe to do so. We appreciate the patience of passengers while we work to resolve this issue."
An Avanti West Coast spokesperson added, "Tickets for travel north of Preston today Monday 3rd November are valid for tomorrow Tuesday 4th November.
"If you chose not to travel today due to the disruption, you are entitled to a fee-free refund from your original ticket retailer.
"Ticket acceptance is in place on alternative routes with the following operators:
"Between London Kings Cross and Edinburgh with LNER.
"Between Edinburgh and Glasgow Central with ScotRail.
"Between Edinburgh and Birmingham New Street with CrossCountry."
Buses are running instead of trains between Preston and Carlisle.