Rail and Road Passengers told to plan ahead due to closure of West Coast Main Line this Christmas and New Year

Rail passengers are being given advanced notice of a huge programme of journey improving upgrades on the West Coast Main Line this Christmas and New Year. Between 24 December and 15 January, a ?196m package of essential work will take place to make future journeys more reliable for passengers and freight. The largest projects in the North West this Christmas and New Year are:

A ?16m investment into Preston station's signalling system. The main phase of a ?60m railway bridge replacement over the M6 at Penrith in Cumbria, which will make journeys along the West Coast Main Line safer and more reliable for generations. Installing new signalling equipment at Kingmoor, north of Carlisle.

For the work to safely take place, sections of the West Coast Main Line will need to be entirely closed to train traffic over a 22-day period from 24 December until 15 January. In the North West, the majority of the disruptive work is taking place from New Year's Day.  Key dates:

From 1-4 January 2026, the line will be closed through Preston, between Oxenholme and Carlisle, and Carlisle to Dumfries and Lockerbie. From 5-6 January 2026, the line through Preston will be open. The railway between Oxenholme and Carlisle, and Carlisle to Dumfries and Lockerbie, will remain closed for work.

From 7-14 January 2026, the line north of Carlisle will be open. The railway between Oxenholme and Carlisle will be closed as the work to replace Clifton bridge continues until the early hours of 15 January. Network Rail and train operators have been working together to try and keep passengers on trains for as much of their journey as possible; for instance, the Settle to Carlisle line will be used as a special shuttle route for long-distance services for the first time in a decade.

Where there are no alternative rail routes, replacement buses will be in place to get people to where they need to be. During the work, passengers are advised to plan ahead at www.nationalrail.co.u[1]k or with their train operators, allow extra time to travel, expect trains to be busier, and be aware some sections of their journey could be by bus. Train plan information

Jan 1-4 Trains: Avanti West Coast will run a special service from Wigan to Carlisle not calling at Preston.

Avanti West Coast will run from Lockerbie to Edinburgh/Glasgow. TransPennine Express will not run between Buckshaw Parkway and Scotland. ScotRail will run to/from Dumfries to Glasgow.

Trains will run from Blackpool South to Blackpool North via Kirkham. Trains will terminate at Bamber Bridge from the Blackburn/Burnley/Leeds direction. Trains will run from Barrow to Windermere via Lancaster.

Trains will run from Morecambe to Leeds via Lancaster.  Buses: Buses will run between Blackpool North, Buckshaw Parkway and Blackburn via Preston.

Buses will run between Ormskirk to Buckshaw Parkway via Preston. Buses will run between Wigan and Lancaster. Buses will run between Oxenholme and Carlisle.

Buses will run between Carlisle and Lockerbie. Buses will run between Carlisle and Dumfries.  Jan 5-6

Trains: Avanti West Coast will run a special service Preston to Carlisle not calling at Lancaster, Oxenholme, and Penrith. Avanti West Coast will run from Lockerbie to Edinburgh/Glasgow.

TransPennine Express will run to Oxenholme from the south. ScotRail will run to/from Dumfries to Glasgow. Buses:

Buses will run between Oxenholme and Carlisle. Buses will run between Carlisle and Lockerbie. Buses will run between Carlisle and Dumfries.

Jan 7-14 Trains: Avanti West Coast will divert from Preston to Carlisle not calling at Lancaster, Oxenholme, and Penrith.

Avanti West Coast will run from Carlisle to Glasgow/Edinburgh. TransPennine Express will run to Oxenholme from the south. Buses:

Buses will run from Oxenholme to Carlisle. Further down the West Coast Main Line, ?26m is being invested to upgrade a vital railway junction across all four main lines at Hanslope in Northamptonshire. Between 24 December and 5 January, there will be no trains between Milton Keynes and Northampton / Rugby, with rail replacement buses in operation.

M6 closure information During the work to replace Clifton bridge near Penrith, the M6 will be closed for two weekends: evening of Friday 2 January to morning of Monday 5 January 2026

evening of Friday 9 January to morning of Monday 12 January 2026 During these periods, the motorway will close in both directions between junction 39 at Shap and junction 40 near Penrith. Motorists are strongly advised to plan their journeys.

Diversionary route information is available on the National Highways webpage.

Network Rail has been working closely with National Highways to ensure the local community is informed of how they will be affected by this closure.

Those conversations will continue in the coming weeks and include further information on how disruption will be reduced for residents and road users.

References

1. ^ www.nationalrail.co.u (www.nationalrail.co.u)