June news

There will be further RMT strikes on 19, 21 and 23 June. Details will follow when timetables are available, usually around a week in advance.

The new timetable from 20 May means that there are Sunday services between Barrow and Carlisle and additional evening trains. This is not the full service promised but a considerable move towards it. Timetables are online with printed timetables due by 1 June. There will also be four return Barrow-Manchester Airport and one Windermere-Manchester Piccadilly services. The previous date for the withdrawal of loco hauled trains and Pacer units of December 2019 still stands, when we should be served by a fleet of four car refurbished class 156 diesel multiple units. Other Northern timetables are also online. The Whitehaven ticket office will open on Sundays 0930-1630 from 20 May for an experimental eight weeks.

The timetable started well but by the second week we were experiencing around six cancellations a day and a number of short workings. Northern have announced temporary timetables (with an explanation) from 4 June to the end of July including buses only between Windermere and Oxenholme until 1 July. Supposedly a full service should operate on the coast, Furness, Tyne Valley and Settle and Carlisle lines but it would be as well to continue to check on the day at present.

Mutual ticket acceptance is in place where trains are cancelled between Northern, TransPennine Express and Virgin until 29 July so that even with an advance ticket you can use other operators’ services if yours is not running (but not when it is!).

Engineering work

Buses replace trains between Carlisle and Hexham on Sundays 3-17 June.

Trains from Preston via Bolton replaced by buses on Saturdays and Sundays until further notice.

On 1 June 0453 (MX) Barrow-in-Furness to Preston bus replaced throughout. 0516 (MX) Preston to Carlisle will terminate Barrow-in-Furness. Additional train Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle.
1909 (FX) Carlisle to Preston will terminate Barrow-in-Furness. Bus Barrow-in-Furness to Preston.
2210 (FX) Manchester Airport to Barrow-in-Furness will terminate Preston. Bus Preston to Barrow-in-Furness.

From 20 May TransPennine Express trains are running non stop between Preston and Manchester Piccadilly.

Waggon ways to Whitehaven: west Cumbria on rails exhibition at the Beacon museum in Whitehaven until 3 June.

Railfuture’s summer conference is in Carlisle on 23 June. On the same day is Community rail in the city at Carlisle station 1000-1600.

New ticket machines have been installed in Maryport and Whitehaven, operating in English, French, German, Spanish and Polish. They are an improvement on the old ones, but only seems to sell tickets on the day (so no advances) and no ranger or rover tickets.