The Friends of the Settle Carlisle Line are pleased to report that our railway will again be used for diverted Avanti West Coast passenger services during April 2026.
It's great to see the Settle and Carlisle line being used for diverted passenger and freight services and illustrates the strategic value of the line as a third route to Scotland.
The West Coast Main Line will be closed for engineering work between Preston and Carlisle on Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 April and then Saturday 11 April through to Sunday 19 April inclusive.
On those dates Avanti West Coast services will be diverted over the Settle & Carlisle, giving passengers an opportunity to enjoy our scenic route.
There will be as many as seventeen trains diverted on the busiest weekdays of that period. It is particularly pleasing to see the rail industry make use of hybrid train technology to reintroduce these diverted services, keeping passengers on trains rather than rail replacement buses.
It is also expected that a small number of freight services will be diverted, although details on these have yet to be published.
Further details on the work taking place and the alterations to train services can be found here:
