The West Coast Main Line will be blocked while Network Rail replaces the rail bridge over M6 near Penrith, which has led Avanti West Coast to divert its Class 805 Evero fleet onto the Settle to Carlisle line
One of the most picturesque train lines in Britain is to get a new service for the first time in ten years.
The West Coast Main Line will be blocked while Network Rail replaces the rail bridge over M6 near Penrith, which has led Avanti West Coast to divert its Class 805 Evero fleet onto the Settle to Carlisle line.
The stretch of railway, which is renowned for its beautiful scenery, will be used as a diversionary route when the West Coast Main Line is blocked between Preston and Carlisle for two weeks in the new year.
To keep customers moving on trains across the North West and into Scotland, Avanti West Coast is planning to run a shuttle service broadly every two hours between Preston and Carlisle non-stop via the Settle to Carlisle route.
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The historic 73-mile-long railway line, which will be used as a West Coast Main Line diversionary route for the first time in over 10 years, crosses the picturesque Yorkshire Dales and the North Pennines, boasting miles of scenic countryside views from the train window.
Its most famous feature is the Ribblehead Viaduct, which was designed by John Sydney Crossley and is the longest and third tallest structure on the Settle-Carlisle line. The Viaduct has twenty-four arches that carry the railway line 31m above the moor, according to Visit Settle.
The challenging terrain necessitated its construction, which began in late 1869. Up to 2,300 men worked on it, most of whom lived in shanty towns set up near its base. It was finished five years later, following a gruelling process that claimed the lives of 100 men. It would be the last main railway in Britain to be constructed primarily with manual labour.
If you’ve not been to Ribblehead but recongise the viaduct, it may be because it has featured in several prominent TV shows. Building the viaduct was the inspiration behind the ITV period drama series Jericho, with the finished product featuring in the 1970 film No Blade of Grass and also in the 2012 film Sightseers.
Avanti West Coast’s Class 805 trains, which were introduced in June last year on the North Wales and West Midlands routes, are bi-mode, meaning they can run on electric or diesel power. This allows them to travel down the Settle to Carlisle line, which has no overhead power wires.
The full train timetable will be published in early October for those who are keen to trundle along the iconic train line.
Network Rail is investing £60m to replace Clifton Bridge near Penrith so it can continue to safely carry passenger and freight trains over one of Britain’s busiest motorways. At 60 years old, weight restrictions on the current structure mean it can only carry one train at a time, causing delays to train services.