Copyright manchestereveningnews
An investigation into the Avanti West Coast service derailing in Cumbria has opened following the 80mph crash earlier today. On Monday, (November 3), emergency services were called to the West Coast Main Line just south of Shap following an 11-carriage train derailing. It was heading from Glasgow to London Euston at around 6.15am, and the front unit of the train derailed and came off the tracks while the remaining 10 carriages remained on the line. 87 people were evacuated safely from the train, with only four suffering from minor injuries . The 77 passengers and 10 train crew were taken to the nearby Shap Wells Hotel with all being assessed by North West Ambulance Service, reports LancsLive . With the disruption lasting for hours, replacement rail coaches were sent to the hotel in order for passengers and staff to travel to their onward destinations. Cumbria Police also operated a one way road system leading to the Shap Wells Hotel from either side of the railway line. Network Rail's operation director Sam MacDougall said that the train had "done exactly what it's designed to do" in ensuring that only the lead carriage was affected by the collision and had "powered through" the impact rather than crumpling as modern cars are designed to do. Mr MacDougall explained that the front carriage had "jumped off the track" and did not tip over at any point. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch has since started to examine the crash site in order to determine the cause of the collision. Customers have been warned that the line is expected to be closed "at least for a day", and possible several more due to logistical difficulties of extricating the carriages. Westmorland and Lonsdale MP Tim Farron arrived at the Shap Wells Hotel at around 11.15am. He said he was "horrified" when he heard the news. "We had a train derailment at Grange just 18 months ago and of course I was around many years ago, 18 or so years ago, when the Grayrigg derailment happened where there was loss of life so your first thought was concern whether people are very seriously injured," the MP added. He went onto praise the Avanti West crew for "doing a fantastic job in very distressing and alarming circumstances", as well as the emergency services who swiftly responded. The MP went onto add: "There was an overwhelming sense of relief that no-one was very seriously injured, I was at the hospital this morning in Kendal and they were expecting some minor injuries but not many. So now it's a question of 'what do we learn from this?'. "I know the Rail Accident Investigation Branch are on site and we don't know what caused it for sure. "It does remind us that we are massively overdue investment in the West Coast Main Line north of Crewe, up to Glasgow, that's been put off for many, many, many years and this might be a moment where people realise there is life north of Preston." The incident is reported to have happened in a narrow valley around 5km south of the village of Shap. Locals spoke to LancsLive about the "importance" of the West Coast Main Line, while reiterating that problems on the line were not "uncommon" during weather conditions. "It's often down to the weather and the topography," two villagers said. "These things happen; the most important thing is that nobody was hurt." Andrew, who lives in Bampton just outside of Shap, uses the West Coast Main Line regularly and described it as being "vital" for locals. "It's a really well-used line and it would be a big loss if this affected it for any length of time," he added. Network Rail's operation director Mr MacDougall praised the emergency services and staff for doing an "excellent job" in getting passengers off the train. Mr MacDougall highlighted the "extremely challenging terrain and appalling weather" which will hamper recovery efforts and the ongoing investigation. Rail users have today been warned not to travel north of Preston with disruption expected to continue for the coming days.
