Four people have suffered minor injuries after a train derailed when it struck a landslide at 80mph.
Eighty-seven people, including 10 members of staff, were on board the 4.28am Avanti West Coast service from Glasgow to Euston when it came off the tracks near the village of Shap, in Cumbria, on Monday morning.
Network Rail said the front coach of the 11-carriage service derailed at about 6.15am during severe weather conditions and while it was still dark.
Sam MacDougall, Network Rail operations director, said early indications suggested the train had hit a landslide.
He said: “We believe the train was travelling at approximately 80 miles an hour at the point of collision and then stopped very quickly thereafter.”
Mr MacDougall added: “On arrival of the emergency services and the Network Rail staff, all of whom worked in extremely challenging terrain and appalling weather conditions this morning, all persons on board the train were safely removed and brought to a nearby reception centre.
“By 10.40 this morning, all customers had been safely taken forward to their onward destinations by replacement road transport.
“Our attention now turns to investigating the cause and recovering the railway as quickly as we can.”
North West Ambulance Service said it had stood down from major incident status and was withdrawing resources from the scene.
⚠️All lines are blocked north of Preston due to a derailed train between Penrith North Lakes and Oxenholme Lake District. Please do not attempt to travel north of Preston today.
🎟️Customers with tickets for journeys north of Preston dated 3 November will be able to use their…— Avanti West Coast (@AvantiWestCoast) November 3, 2025
A spokesperson said: “Our colleagues have assessed a total of 87 patients, with only four suffering minor injuries.
“No-one required further hospital treatment, and all were discharged from the nearby rest centre.
“An operation remains in place with our partners as they continue to recover the scene.”
The incident is likely to cause disruption “for a number of days”, Avanti West Coast said.
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 wellbeing of everyone who was board and getting them safely off the train. We are assisting emergency services who are on the scene.
Scotland news LIVE as Glasgow to London train derails in Cumbria
“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.”
British Transport Police said in a statement on social media: “Officers were called at 6.15am today to reports of a train derailment near Shap, Cumbria.
“Thankfully, there are no reported casualties and passengers have been safely escorted from the train.
“Officers remain on scene alongside emergency services responding to the incident.”
Rail union TSSA - which represents many members both at Avanti and Network Rail - said a derailment was always a highly serious matter and would need thorough investigation in the days and weeks ahead.
Commenting, TSSA General Secretary, Maryam Eslamdoust said: “The derailment of the Avanti West Coast train near Shap is very serious and will require thorough investigation.
“It’s always troubling and extremely dangerous when a train leaves the track under any circumstances, so it is right that a major incident has been declared.
“Thankfully it seems there and no major injuries and we thank the emergency services, including British Transport Police, for all they are doing for those who were on board.
“Our union has thousands of Network Rail members who work incredibly hard every day of the year, making sure our railways run safely. This is always our number one priority.
“There will be significant disruption in the days ahead on the West Coast Mainline, but our members know this is necessary to we can have answers and better understand what led to this incident in Cumbria.”
First Minister John Swinney said the derailment would have been a “terrifying experience” for those involved.
He said he was “very concerned” about the derailment of the Avanti train, which had been travelling from Glasgow to London on Monday.
Stressing that “rail travel is normally a very safe way of travel”, the First Minister told the PA news agency that “when these incidents happen, they are matters of enormous concern and require detailed investigation”.
He added: “On the information that I have available to me just now, there do not appear to have been any injuries for the passengers who were on the train, but this will have been an absolutely terrifying experience to have witnessed, so it’s important that all support is in place for everyone that’s affected.”
Mr Swinney also said the Scottish Government was in touch with the UK Government “about the steps that are being taken to investigate the incident and also to support those affected”.
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