PASSENGERS travelling on the West Coast Main Line can expect "serious disruptions" on their journeys today (May 16) after a train brought down overhead cables.
Power had to be switched off in the early hours when the Scotrail service brought down the cables leaving 170 passengers stranded aboard the train south of Lancaster for three hours.
Many of Virgin Trains' services between Preston and Carlisle have been cancelled while the repairs are done. There are no problems north of Carlisle and south of Preston.
VT spokesman David Ewart said: "We are expecting problems throughout the day. It is a serious disruption and the priority is to get the repairs done."
A limited rail service will run between Carlisle and Lancaster about every two hours while special coaches will be laid on between Preston and Carlisle, calling at Lancaster, Oxenholme and Penrith.
Passengers are advised to contact the National Rail Enquiries before setting off today.
The problem began when a 16-coach train, which connects London with Scotland via Cumbria and Lancashire, left Inverness at 8.40pm on Thursday, May 15.
The train, which usually calls at Edinburgh, Preston and Crewe before terminating at London Euston, ground to a halt at around 4.30am this morning (Friday, May 16) when the cables came down.
A spokesman for Scotrail said the electric locomotive, known as the Highlander, had brought down the over-head cable forcing rail operators to turn off the electricity serving the line.
"We are not exactly certain how that happened and we will be launching a full investigation to find out why," he said.
Passengers were stranded aboard the train for more than three hours while a diesel engine was brought to pull the sleeper into Preston Station.
The spokesman said although there would have been emergency lighting on the train, the heating would not have lasted three hours but passengers had been offered blankets.
From there the passengers were loaded onto a fleet of coaches, which took them on to London.
The rail inquiries phone number is 08457484950.
May 16, 2003 11:00
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