Commuters in two counties have been affected by the derailment of a Northern train. The train, carrying four passengers and four staff members, was heading for Barrow when it derailed near Grange-over-Sands in Cumbria at approximately 6:00 a.m. GMT. All lines between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster are now blocked, and services are expected to suffer delays and cancellations throughout the day. Passengers were safely evacuated from the train.
Grange-over-Sands station was particularly affected, with long delays for those hoping to travel. Coaches typically used for replacement rail services were unavailable due to the school run, and services were expected to continue during Friday. One frustrated passenger intending to travel to Lancaster relied on several buses as his only travel alternative.
Northern regional director Craig Harrop commented on the accident, stating that safety measures were in place to minimize disruption to other services. Network Rail apologized to passengers for the disruption, encouraged them to check services before travelling, and are cooperating with Northern to establish the cause of the accident.
Other train operators, such as Avanti and Transpennine Express, have eased ticket restrictions to aid affected passengers, and road rail replacement vehicles have been requested to run between Barrow and Lancaster. The incident highlights the vulnerability of travel infrastructure, and the effects of accidents can cause significant inconvenience with high levels of disruption
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