Please note that only essential travel & key worker travel is allowed under government guidelines from 23rd of March 2020 – see https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Update collated by Lakes Line Rail User Group (LLRUG)
Northern has announced (19th March) that, to protect conductors and passengers from close contact, they will not be selling tickets on trains while the Covid-19 emergency lasts. Tickets should be bought at machines, or on line, or as e-tickets on your mobile phone.
The rail operators are offering refunds for advance tickets, and for anyone being repatriated via Manchester Airport it may even be possible to use an out-of-date ticket. Please see the appropriate company website for details if you think you could benefit from these concessions.
Services through Oxenholme during the emergency period
Avanti West Coast is running 1 train per hour between London and Glasgow, calling at all regular stations including Oxenholme and Penrith and additionally at Crewe. A small number of trains will call at Lockerbie and Motherwell at key times.
First train from Euston 0531 calls at Oxenholme at 0843, with the last train north at 1930 (Oxenholme 2215).
Southbound, the first train leaves Oxenholme at 0620, (Euston 0912), the last 2030 (Euston 2348).
There isn’t a consistent ‘minutes past the hour’ pattern for Avanti services at Oxenholme, so check with National Rail Enquiries or go to https://www.avantiwestcoast.co.uk/help/coronavirus-travel-information where you can download the timetable.
Please note: at the time of writing only the Monday – Friday timetable is on the internet.
TransPennine Express
The basic service is 2-hourly from Preston to Edinburgh, with the first two north starting back from Manchester Airport and an additional train at teatime from Piccadilly to Glasgow.
The first train north leaves Oxenholme at 0733 (Edinburgh 0940 Mon-Fri, 0942 Sat), the last train north leaves Preston at 1905, Oxenholme at 1935 (Edinburgh 2140).
Southbound there is an Oxenholme starter at 07:08 to Piccadilly, Lancaster has an extra one at 0628. The first service departs Edinburgh at 0812, calling at Oxenholme at 1013 and arriving at Preston at 1045. From Preston you need to use Northern services for most of the day to reach Manchester. The last Edinburgh departure at 2011 calls at Oxenholme at 2211.
There is an additional train from Glasgow at 17:08, calling at Oxenholme at 1913, terminating at Piccadilly at 2024.
Go to https://www.tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates/reduced-timetable for the full information.
Northern
There are cancellations on many routes. The South Cumbria Barrow/Windermere service with Manchester Airport continues to operate, but for a reduced length of the day, calling additionally at Leyland and Euxton. All will call at Lancaster.
On the Lakes Line we have a basically 2-hourly service. There will be a train from Oxenholme every even hour from 0818 till 1818 at 18 minutes past the hour. All these trains start from Manchester, and call at all Lakes Line stations. The return trains leave Windermere on the odd hour, at 0909, 1110, 1307, 1511, 1707 and, (note the break in the pattern) 1856. Again, all call at all stations, and all go on to Manchester.
The first train from Manchester Piccadilly leaves at 0648 (Oxenholme 0818), the last inbound service is the 16:29 from Manchester Airport (Piccadilly 16:54).
Please note: at the time of writing only the Monday – Saturday timetable is on the internet, at https://www.northernrailway.co.uk/key-worker-timetables, scroll down to N6 for the Lakes Line. You can also use Northern’s app for live times.
Weekends will be similar, with earlier West Coast Main Line closedown on Saturday evening and late start on Sundays as usual.
Updated 24th March 2020 at 1047