Railline › Cumbrian Coast Line: Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness

Cumbrian Coast Line: Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness

The Cumbrian Coast Line follows the Irish Sea shore for about 85 miles from Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness through Workington, Whitehaven, Sellafield and Ravenglass.

Last updated 2 November 2026

Route and stations

The line is about 85.5 miles (137.6 km) long with 26 stations. It runs from Carlisle through Maryport, Workington and Whitehaven, then St Bees, Nethertown, Braystones, Sellafield, Seascale, Drigg, Ravenglass, Bootle, Millom and Foxfield to Barrow-in-Furness. It forms part of a longer route that continues as the Furness line to Carnforth.

Operator

Operator (checked November 2026): Northern runs the services. Most stations are served regularly, though some were request stops until 2024. Nethertown and Braystones get four trains a day each way, while Drigg, Bootle and Silecroft receive fewer than one a day each way. Narrow overbridges between Maryport and Carlisle limit the line to Class 156 trains.

Opening

• Carlisle to Maryport fully opened in 1845.
• Maryport to Workington opened in November 1845, and to Harrington in May 1846. Passenger traffic began on 18 March 1847.
• Whitehaven to Ravenglass passenger service followed on 21 July 1849.
• Bootle became the southern terminus in July 1850 and Bootle to Foxfield opened on 1 November 1850.

Whitehaven, Sellafield and Ravenglass

Whitehaven is central to the line's history: two railways were joined through a tunnel completed in September 1852. Sellafield is where the old Cleator and Furness Railway connected, and coal traffic began there in February 1849. At Ravenglass the main line meets the Ravenglass and Eskdale narrow-gauge railway, which still runs tourist services, a good way to see the valley behind the coast.

Scenery

Between Whitehaven and Harrington the line runs between cliffs and the sea, where landslips, rockfalls and high tides made building hard. Check the timetable before you travel, because some stations see fewer than one train a day each way.

Compare

The line starts at Carlisle, like the Settle–Carlisle line, and there is a good contrast in the same county. The scenic lines page compares all six.

Good to know

Services are not frequent at every stop. Sellafield, for example, sees one train a day to Barrow in the figure Wikipedia gives, so check which stations your train serves. Because of the narrow overbridges between Maryport and Carlisle, only Class 156 trains can use the line, which is why you will not see wider modern trains there. The line began as a coal and goods route (coal traffic to Braystones and Sellafield started in February 1849) before passengers were carried.

Key facts

The track, stations and signalling are owned and managed by Network Rail. For live times, fares and engineering works, use National Rail Enquiries or the operator's website.

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