A MAJOR UK railway line is shutting down all of its services “until further notice”.
The move is a blow for thousands of customers who rely on the train service, as engineers assess the safety of the route.
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The Cumbrian Coast Line can take passengers all the way from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness.
However, the line – which serves thousands of customers in Cumbria – has been forced to close due to safety inspections.
Network Rail has been carrying out assessments inside the Bransty Tunnel for five days, when they made a shocking discovery.
They were carrying out tests to assess the weight limits needed for the heavy plant and machinery needed for planned track and drainage renewals in August and September.
However, they quickly uncovered that some areas need strengthening before work can progress.
The tunnel has now be closed to all trains while urgent work to make the route safe begins.
Darren Miller, Network Rail’s North West route infrastructure director, said: “We’re sorry to passengers impacted by this unexpected longer closure of the railway between Whitehaven and Corkicle.
“The preparatory surveys have revealed previously unknown ground conditions which we need to investigate further so we can carry out repairs and get the line reopened as soon as possible.
“We’re working closely with train operator Northern and our freight customers on alternative routes and rail replacement bus services.
“I’d encourage anyone planning to travel on the Cumbrian Coast Line to regularly check National Rail Enquiries while we work hard to restore services through Bransty Tunnel.”
Craig Harrop, regional director for Northern added: “We understand that this news is disappointing for those who rely on the Cumbrian Coast.
“We will continue to do everything we can to keep people moving along the route whilst the tunnel remains closed.
“I’d like to thank our customers for bearing with us whilst this essential work takes place, and encourage everybody to check before they travel as journeys will take longer than usual.”
The news comes as thousands of other journeys were thrown into chaos after flights were grounded across the UK.
A “radar failure” at air traffic control meant that planes at airports in London, Edinburgh and Manchester could not take off.
An estimated 577,000 passengers were affected by the outage.
Services were restored last night but delays continue as airlines scramble to rearrange their schedules.
