Border West Coast main line

Lamington Viaduct has suffered further structural damage from bad weather meaning that it will not reopen until the first week of March, 2016.

Alternative routes are in place along the West Coast mainline and they will add 1 hour extra travel time to journeys.

The viaduct has been closed since December when it was severely damaged by Storm Frank in December.

All services on the West Coast Main Line will stop for two hours between 7-9pm and no alternative transport will be available.

Additionally the severe weather conditions will see trains slow as a precaution from 4pm on the following routes:

• Carlisle - Preston / Crewe
• Manchester Piccadilly / Liverpool Lime Street - Crewe / Stoke-on-Trent
• Carnforth / Barrow-in-Furness and Carlisle (Cumbrian Coast)
• Settle - Carlisle
• Preston - Blackpool North / Blackpool South
• Lancaster - Windermere
• Crewe - Stoke-on-Trent

Journey times could increase by up to 60 minutes. For more information click here.

National Rail has confirmed that there are no trains running between Carlisle and Oxenholme. It's believed a freight train has been derailed, closing the line.

Buses are running between Carlisle and Lancaster. The disruption is expected to last until at least the end of today.

Trains affected are Virgin trains between London Euston and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh and First TransPennine Express trains between Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central/Edinburgh

There are reports that a freight train has derailed on the West Coast main line near Penrith.

One report says Network Rail is providing replacement buses between Carlisle and Lancaster. There is no confirmation of the incident yet from the company.

Trains between Carlisle and Lancaster are experiencing delays of around 60 minutes.

The following changes will apply until at least 4.30pm:

Virgin Trains-

Buses are replacing trains between Preston and Lancaster

Passengers may use East Coast or First TransPennine Express services to complete their journey

Passengers may use Northern Rail services between Newcastle and Carlisle

First TransPennine Express-

Buses are replacing trains between Preston and Lancaster.

Taxpayers face a "significant" bill over the botched West Coast rail franchise process, a report from a Government spending watchdog has said.

The National Audit Office has released a report following the announcement that Virgin Trains will continue to run the London to Scotland line for the next 23 months.

The £5bn franchise was awarded to FirstGroup in October but that decision was contested by Richard Branson and Virgin Train.

The Government has already indicated that repaying bidding costs to the companies competing for the franchise is likely to land taxpayers with a bill of around £40 million.

Virgin Trains are to carry on running the West Coast Mainline for the next two years.The move is a temporary one and South Lakes MP says this doesn't give the company any incentive to invest in the line.