Cumbrian Coast Line - Services

Services

Train services are operated by Northern Rail. Services stop at all stations, although many are request stops, with the exceptions of Netherstown and Braystones, which are served by four trains a day in each direction.

In the December 2011 - May 2012 timetable, the following trains operate on weekdays:

• Southbound - 18 trains per day
  • Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness - 8 trains per day, of which 1 continues to Lancaster and 1 to Preston
  • Carlisle to Whitehaven - 4 trains per day, of which 1 begins in Newcastle
  • Millom to Barrow-in-Furness - 3 trains per day, of which 1 continues to Preston
  • Maryport to Lancaster - 1 train per day
  • Whitehaven to Barrow-in-Furness - 1 train per day
  • Sellafield to Lancaster- 1 train per day

• Northbound - 19 trains per day
  • Barrow-in-Furness to Carlisle - 10 trains per day, of which 1 begins in Lancaster and 2 in Preston
  • Whitehaven to Carlisle - 4 trains per day
  • Barrow-in-Furness to Millom - 3 trains per day, of which 1 begins in Lancaster
  • Barrow-in-Furness to Sellafield - 1 train per day
  • Whitehaven to Workington - 1 train per day

Services are slightly altered on Saturdays. On Sundays there is no service between Barrow and Whitehaven, with three trains in each direction between Whitehaven and Carlisle.

In the aftermath of the 2009 floods, an extra hourly service between Maryport and Workington operated stopping at all stations in between, including the temporary Workington North. These services were suspended in December 2010.

At Carlisle the lines connects to the: West Coast Mainline; the Settle-Carlisle Line; the Tyne Valley Line; the Glasgow South Western Line; and the Caledonian Sleeper service. At Barrow, there are connections to the Furness Line.

Due to restricted clearances on the northern section of this line, Class 150 and class 158 Diesel multiple units are barred from the route, therefore services are normally operated by Class 153 or Class 156 units. Although since 2006 Network Rail have eased clearance restrictions to allow Mark2, Mark3 coaching stock to operate the full route, although under strict instructions that all drop-light windows must be stewarded between Maryport and Carlisle. This has allowed many charter services to operate the full length of the Cumbrian Coast.

The Cumbrian Coast was given Community Rail status in 2008, and has an active Community Rail Partnership working hard to develop the route.