A major incident has been declared following the derailment of a train near the village of Shap in Cumbria, with emergency services sent to the scene.
The North West Ambulance Services said resources had been dispatched to the site of the derailment on the outskirts of the Lake District.
A post on the service’s X account said: ‘We are currently assessing the situation and working with other members of the emergency services.’
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told LBC Radio this morning that a ‘major incident has been stood up’ and there are ‘no reported injuries’.
She said: ‘We will work swiftly to make sure that people can get off the train safely.
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‘I will be remaining in constant touch with the train operating company and the Railway Accident Investigation Branch.’
Significant disruption will hit Avanti West Coast and the TransPennine Express for the rest of the day following the incident, National Rail said.
All lines are blocked between Penrith and Oxenholme, meaning trains between Carlisle and Preston may be delayed by up to two hours or cancelled altogether.
Journeys with Avanti West Coast from Glasgow Central/Edinburgh to London Euston will be cancelled, while services in the opposite direction will end in Preston.
Avanti West Coast passengers are being advised to not travel north of Preston, and those who have bought tickets with the operator will have their tickets accepted on CrossCountry, LNER and ScotRail services.
Meanwhile, the TransPennine Express trains that normally run from Glasgow Central to Liverpool Lime Street and from Glasgow Central/Edinburgh to Manchester Airport will not operate between Carlisle and Preston.
Passengers are warned they may be heavily delayed and experience ‘severe overcrowding’.
Hourly rail replacement journeys will take place between Preston and Carlisle in both directions.
More information about the alternative journeys can be found here.
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