Avanti Settle and Carlisle diversions (allocations, diagrams & timetabling)

[voyagerdude220]

Hello,

I thought I'd create a new thread now that the Penrith Viaduct thread has been brought to a close.

Please add any known information about planned diversions of Avanti trains over the Settle and Carlisle route here.

I see diversions have been planned for 4/5/10/11/12-19th April.

Notable/unusual workings involving the above (Which I'm aware haven't been confirmed to be accurate yet):

12th April- 11:49 Crewe to Carlisle planned to call at Blackburn 13:14-13:23.
13th April- 16:35 Chester to Carlisle planned to run via Helsby.

 

[Toby268]

Hello,

I thought I'd create a new thread now that the Penrith Viaduct thread has been brought to a close.

Please add any known information about planned diversions of Avanti trains over the Settle and Carlisle route here.

I see diversions have been planned for 4/5/10/11/12-19th April.

Notable/unusual workings involving the above (Which I'm aware haven't been confirmed to be accurate yet):

12th April- 11:49 Crewe to Carlisle planned to call at Blackburn 13:14-13:23.
13th April- 16:35 Chester to Carlisle planned to run via Helsby.

I reckon the call at Blackburn should be a pathing stop and will be removed by the time it comes round to it. Looks like an error

 

[Kite159]

Likewise that one planned to run via Helsby, considering Chester* to Warrington via Helsby will need a route conductor unless Avanti plan to get some staff trained up on that route

(* Or Mickle Trafford Junction considering some would sign the Mid Cheshire & Middlewich route)

 

[Toby268]

Likewise that one planned to run via Helsby, considering Chester* to Warrington via Helsby will need a route conductor unless Avanti plan to get some staff trained up on that route

(* Or Mickle Trafford Junction considering some would sign the Mid Cheshire & Middlewich route)

Preston and Liverpool train managers, potentially Holyhead too and I believe Liverpool, Crewe and again potentially Holyhead drivers sign the Helsby diversion.

 

[The Planner]

Preston and Liverpool train managers, potentially Holyhead too and I believe Liverpool, Crewe and again potentially Holyhead drivers sign the Helsby diversion.

How are they retaining that knowledge? They don't run any ECS or other services along there.

 

[Some guy]

How are they retaining that knowledge? They don't run any ECS or other services along there.

I know with Preston staff they catch a TFW and route learn that way. They’ve always retained it even after voyagers was removed

 

[Chiltern006]

Nothing via the Farington curve I presume?

 

[voyagerdude220]

Nothing via the Farington curve I presume?

I've not seen anything, but I think Preston is being closed again later this year, so if it is, no doubt we'll have diversions around the curve again.

 

[The Planner]

Nothing via the Farington curve I presume?

Not this time, no. Probably not for a good while.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I've just been looking at the planned departure times of the Settle and Carlisle diversions at Preston on Saturday 4th April.

05:10/08:39/10:07/11:40/13:07/15:05.

The first departure seems exceptionally early to me, with the last one also being early considering the last train would normally be 20:41.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 26 Jan 2026 ==

Edit: Just noticed looking on Journey Planner and Realtime Trains for Monday 6th April, 99% of trains show as running normally north of Preston via Lancaster etc. and offer Advance tickets.

Yet there is a solitary 17:07 Preston to Carlisle on Monday 6th April via Settle due to arrive Carlisle 19:24 which strangely isn't showing on Realtime Trains.

 

[30907]

The workings shown on RTT are unbalanced on both days.

The work doesn't involve Easter Monday (or Good Friday).

 

[voyagerdude220]

The workings shown on RTT are unbalanced on both days.

The work doesn't involve Easter Monday (or Good Friday).

Ok thank you.

 

[voyagerdude220]

I notice whilst looking on RTT at the planned Easter Avanti workings over the Settle and Carlisle that on most, if not all days they're running, Avanti aren't stabling any 805s at Carlisle anymore.

They've even gone as far as having an incredibly early 04:48 departure from Preston to Carlisle Monday 13th to Friday 17th April. (05:13 on Saturday 18th April)

I've noticed that Avanti plan to stable an 805 at Blackpool North overnight from 00:08 to 08:12 on Sunday 19th April when it goes back to Carlisle. Ironically of course Northern used to run a very popular Blackpool North to Carlisle via Settle service on Summer Sundays up until a few years ago.

 

[Acathater]

I don't know if it's in preparation for this but there have been some odd Avanti workings at Preston this week

Tuesday around 2pm had an 11 car pendolino seemingly dumped on platform 7, while around 2:30 pm today a Pendolino seemed to be heading north empty from the parcels platforms

 

[voyagerdude220]

So let's see how the April batch of Settle and Carlisle diversions perform..

Looking on Realtime Trains between Preston and Carlisle, it appears that 5/8 (of today's) diversions from Preston are formed of 5-car 805s, with 3/8 formed of 10-cars.

 

[lrbvoyager]

Does anyone know what is happening with first class catering? Is it provided?

 

[voyagerdude220]

Does anyone know what is happening with first class catering? Is it provided?

Sorry I've no idea. I know on Avanti's website it says on some Evero trains at Weekends you'll have to collect complimentary food and drink from the onboard Shop and that they'll give you a "meal deal including (optional) alcohol."

Yet I do remember someone posting on here stating the staff member in the Shop on a Weekday (iirc) would only give them a complimentary hot drink and biscuit(!) which is obviously a big contrast to either the Breakfast options (examples including Bacon Roll or Smoked Salmon at Weekends or additionally the Mini Breakfast on Weekdays or mostly cold rest of the day options with one hot item)

I seem to also remember someone on here stating they'd successfully been served the mini Breakfast on a Weekday diversion.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2026 ==

Today's 10:07 Preston to Carlisle hasn't left Preston as of 10:24 and now the 10:24 Preston to Colne has departed, if the Evero does depart soon it will soon catch up the Colne train.

I can't see any delay information on Avanti's Journey Check page about the 10:07.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2026 ==

Edit: 10:07 Preston to Carlisle cancelled due to a Train Fault! Oh dear..

Fault said to have been Generator Unit related.

 

[Oxfordblues]

The only through train of the day 9Z47 14:19 Carlisle-Birmingham is cancelled to Preston because of the failure of the traction equipment.

 

[ChilliSauce]

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2026 ==

Edit: 10:07 Preston to Carlisle cancelled due to a Train Fault! Oh dear..

Fault said to have been Generator Unit related.

Repeat performance then of the January diversions? .. but then it's the same clapped out class 805 trains being deployed

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2026 ==

The only through train of the day 9Z47 14:19 Carlisle-Birmingham is cancelled to Preston because of the failure of the traction equipment.

That I think is the 11.40 Preston to Carlisle due Carlisle 14.00 on a return working . Don't say muxh for the chances of the 11.40 from Preston does it!

 

[voyagerdude220]

It looks like the 10:07 from Preston was indeed intended to then form the 14:19 from Carlisle although not sure why some of the arrivals at Carlisle from Preston seem to be booked to sit there a couple of hours, unless I've misunderstood Realtime Trains.

 

[yorkie]

Does anyone know what is happening with first class catering? Is it provided?

Very basic service, if you are lucky, in my experience and that of others I know.

 

[ChilliSauce]

Very basic service, if you are lucky, in my experience and that of others I know.

What! You wish traction power and the electric oven / Hob / Grill all off the same 805 Generator ? Steady on !!

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 4 Apr 2026 ==

It looks like the 10:07 from Preston was indeed intended to then form the 14:19 from Carlisle although not sure why some of the arrivals at Carlisle from Preston seem to be booked to sit there a couple of hours, unless I've misunderstood Realtime Trains.

I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the 14.00 arrival would just turn back at 14.19 .. Perhaps all this layover at Carlisle is to polish up the generators ..

 

[voyagerdude220]

I assumed (rightly or wrongly) that the 14.00 arrival would just turn back at 14.19 .. Perhaps all this layover at Carlisle is to polish up the generators ..

Maybe the GUs do indeed need work.. Today's 08:55 Carlisle to Preston (805001) appears to be struggling between Blackburn and Preston.

 

[yorksrob]

Gone past a couple going the other way already.

 

[voyagerdude220]

Maybe the GUs do indeed need work.. Today's 08:55 Carlisle to Preston (805001) appears to be struggling between Blackburn and Preston.

Reported to be a track defect at Pleasington.

 

[Harpo]

Does anyone know what is happening with first class catering? Is it provided?

Drinks only on ours. Not used these horribly hard and non-reclining Evero FC seats before. Grim.

As commented on elsewhere, the 805 S&C schedules are unachievable with 8 mins lost uphill and (shades of 31/4 ) don’t seem to be able to both haul and heat with staff commenting on the coldness of the train and making unfavourable comparisons with Pendelinos.

57314 at Hellifield. Thunderbird presumably?

 

[Scotty Dog]

57 is on hire to Network Rail for Route Proving Sunday morning after Storm Dave has passed through tonight.

 

[Oxfordblues]

1Z34 has arrived Platform 5 at Preston just in time to see 1M11 departing from number 6 (an 18-minute "connection"). 58 minutes to wait for the next one

 

[voyagerdude220]

Drinks only on ours.

That's very poor from Avanti, considering what they advertise on their website.
(That you should as a minimum get offered a meal deal from the Shop, which I assume would be sandwich (maybe a Bacon Roll or Cheeseburger as a hot option?) drinks and maybe crisps/cake etc.)

 

[Harpo]

1Z34 has arrived Platform 5 at Preston just in time to see 1M11 departing from number 6 (an 18-minute "connection"). 58 minutes to wait for the next one

Giving absolutely everyone connecting towards Rugby and beyond a 100% delay repay refund. Thats an extremely expensive decision for the sake of a brief connectional ‘hold’.