Overview

• Avanti will run diverted services between January 1–14, 2026, marking the first use of the Settle–Carlisle line by West Coast trains in more than a decade.
• Bi‑mode Evero trains will operate the non‑electrified stretch after a successful August trial, addressing usual constraints such as capacity and crew route knowledge.
• A timetable will be published in early October, with advice for Scotland‑bound passengers from major cities to use the East Coast Main Line and buses serving Lancaster, Oxenholme and Penrith.
• The shuttle is planned broadly every two hours non‑stop between Preston and Carlisle, routing via the East Lancashire line, the Clitheroe branch and joining at Hellifield.
• The M6 will be shut between Junctions 39 and 40 on the first two weekends for bridge works, and the new structure will remove weight restrictions that currently slow rail traffic, with minor rolling stock reassignments expected elsewhere during the period.