Commuters can expect travel chaos in the days ahead after the derailment of train on a major line, with the train operator issuing an urgent warning for anyone travelling by rail this week
A train has derailed, sparking police to declare a ‘major incident’(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Less than 48 hours after passengers were stabbed in a frenzied attack on a train near Huntingdon, Cambridge, police have declared a second ‘major incident’.
Chaos has ensued after an Avanti West Coast train derailed near the Cumbrian village of Shap in what was declared a “major incident”.
Those onboard feared the worst after the train hit mud left by a landslide at around 90mph, with some alarmed passengers even concerned that the “loud bang” meant that another knife attack was underway, like the one that unfolded in Cambridgeshire on Saturday night (November 1).
The incident occurred at 6.10 am this morning (November 3), and all passengers were safely removed from the train by emergency crews. Meanwhile, photographs show a train carriage in a crushed state, with pipework and wires exposed.
Four individuals suffered minor injuries following the derailment near Shap in Cumbria, North West Ambulance Service confirmed, but thankfully, after assessing 87 people, ambulance workers determined that “no one required further hospital treatment”.
However, while the major incident status has since been “stood down”, an operation remains in place as crews work to clear the scene, and Avanti West Coast have now warned commuters to expect significant disruption to its network in the days to come.
READ MORE: Cumbria train derailment LIVE: Emergency services rush to scene amid ‘do not travel’ alert
Photographs show the damage sustained by the train
Warning commuters not to travel north of Preston, an Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: “At 06.10hrs today, 3 November, the 0428 Avanti West Coast service from Glasgow to Euston was reported to have derailed at Shap in Cumbria. Our priority is the well-being of everyone who was on board and getting them safely off the train. We are assisting emergency services who are on the scene.
“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.”
With the line from Glasgow to London Euston being the main route for services operating in the west of the UK, it’s expected that thousands of passengers will be impacted by this ongoing disruption.
Echoing Avanti West Coast’s warning not to travel north of Preston, National Rail stated: “Major disruption between Carlisle and Preston expected until the end of the day. A derailed train between Penrith and Oxenholme means all lines are blocked. Trains running between Carlisle and Preston may be delayed by up to 120 minutes or cancelled.”
Some of the passengers are said to be in shock(Image: @networkrailWCML/X)
Meanwhile, National Rail has also clarified that rail replacement buses are no longer in operation between Carlisle and Preston, “due to a limited supply of coaches”, while it’s anticipated that “replacement vehicles may be busier than usual”. The train company advised: “You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.”
It was previously reported that some 130 passengers have been taken to the nearby Shap Wells Hotel, with hotel director Shabeeh Hassan, revealing that the commuters arrived from 07:30am and seemed to have no injuries. He did however remark that some of the passengers were in shock, telling BBC Radio Cumbria: “I’m doing as much as I can just to make them comfortable.”
It comes after passengers on the 6.25pm LNER train from Doncaster to King’s Cross on Saturday night ended up running for their lives down the carriages as one of the biggest mass stabbings in British history unfolded.
A total of 10 people – including a man who was allegedly stabbed in the head while protecting a young girl – were rushed to hospital after the quick-thinking driver made an unscheduled stop at Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, allowing passengers to flee down the platform.
Anthony Williams, 32, of Langford Road, Peterborough, was charged with 10 counts of attempted murder, one count of Actual Bodily Harm and one count of possession of bladed article.
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READ MORE: Cumbria train derailment: Major update as company warns ‘do not travel’
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