European Railroad Discussion > Derailment at Shap

An early morning Glasgow to London train, an Avanti West Coast Pendolino, derailed following a landslide on the West Coast Mainline today. No one was injured but the line will be closed for several days whilst the embankment is stabilised and the train recovered. Shap is high up on the Cumbrian fells, and the weather has been pretty bad recently.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/czdrp8mm6jgt



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/25 02:41 by 86235.

Do they have slide fences on the railways in the UK?

PHall Wrote:
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> Do they have slide fences on the railways in the
> UK?

Not really, not too many serious mountain areas with railways in the UK.... any landslips tend to be the ones caused by wet soil sliding/moving when water-logged. 

PHall Wrote:
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> Do they have slide fences on the railways in the
> UK?


Yes, in locations such as the Pass of Brander in Western Scotland where the risk of rock falls is high. NR also monitor ground movement in some specific locations where subsidence is a known issue, such as the cut at Harbury on the Chiltern Mainline. But generally not, the situation was exacerbated at Shap by the weather, 50% of the month's expected rainfall in a couple of days, and in an area notoriously wet in any case.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/25 07:47 by 86235.

Looks like Network Rail has finished clearing the line, rebuilt the damaged catenary, it will reopen tonight in time for the overnight Caledonian Sleeper trains.