As the country recovers from the aftermath of storm Bert, Network Rail engineers have been assessing the damage to the Cambrian line near Ulverston where a cutting collapsed, burying the double-track mainline.

Across the 23 & 24 November following a cold week which included snow in the north of England, the sudden temperature rise coupled with strong winds and heavy rain from Storm Bert has meant the melting snow thawed fast and joined the deluge of rain on the watercourses.

These combined to cause the cutting sides to move and collapse onto the tracks passing through the cutting.

Network Rail has confirmed that they have removed 240 tonnes of earth from the tracks as they work to reopen the line.

Trains have been suspended for the most part, but Network Rail is hopeful that train services will resume tomorrow (Tuesday 26 November) running at a reduced speed through the affected areas.

Just before this event, Network Rail was alerted to a nearby stream which had burst its banks and was causing minor flooding near the line.

Work involved stemming the flow of water and diverting it away from the track, while a speed restriction on the trains was put in place.

Storm Bert has caused many problems across the country with disruption to train services across all four home nations, including flooding in Northampton and a landslide on the Brecon Mountain Railway.

 “We are very sorry to passengers travelling between Barrow-in-Furness and Lancaster whose journeys have been disrupted by the flooding damage at Ulverston.

Plans for a long-term fix to the site are already underway following last week’s flooding. We have been working around the clock to remove debris from the tracks and reopen the railway as quickly as possible.

We expect to be able to run services tomorrow morning, but I’d advise passengers to check National Rail Enquiries before they travel.”

Chris Pye, North West route Infrastructure Director