Manchester, England, Jan 6, 2026, 08:09 GMT
Rail replacement buses between Corkickle and Whitehaven were suspended on Tuesday because of severe weather, Northern said, leaving passengers without the usual road alternative on a Cumbrian Coast stretch closed for urgent repairs. The operator said it would review the suspension hourly, while trains would turn back at Corkickle or Whitehaven and some tickets would be accepted on TransPennine Express services within two hours of a cancelled departure. 1
The suspension adds to travel problems during a cold snap that has brought snow and ice warnings across the country. On a network that leans heavily on diversions and replacement buses when lines are blocked, losing the back-up transport can quickly widen the impact for commuters and coastal communities.
National Rail said wintry conditions can trigger “points failures” — when the track switches that guide trains between lines stop working — and can also interfere with electrified power systems. It said the Met Office had issued yellow warnings for snow and ice across parts of England, Wales and Scotland, and urged passengers to check services before travelling and keep tickets for possible compensation claims. 2
The Corkickle-Whitehaven line is shut after inspections during planned engineering work at Bransty Tunnel found unstable ground requiring urgent repair, National Rail said. The work is scheduled to run from Dec. 9, 2025 until May 16, 2026, and it said the timeline for the repairs is still being worked on. 3
In Lancashire, a points failure at Blackburn on Monday disrupted Northern services on routes including Leeds-Blackpool North and Preston-Colne, according to National Rail. The incident was reported at 11:18 and cleared by 12:50. 4
A separate points failure between Carlisle and Whitehaven earlier on Monday was cleared by 09:04, National Rail said. 5
The Met Office said an Arctic airmass would keep cold conditions in place and warned that snow and ice hazards would continue through the week. “The UK will continue to experience a range of winter weather hazards through this week,” Met Office chief meteorologist Matthew Lehnert said. 6
But the biggest uncertainty for passengers is the combination of ice on roads and faults on the railway arriving in waves. Even short-lived problems can cascade when buses cannot run, alternative routes are limited and stations have to manage sudden crowding.
