Hundreds of Avanti West Coast passengers forced to get TAXIS back to Scotland after train abandoned at Preston

HUNDREDS of fuming passengers were left nearly 200 miles from their destination after the train they were on was suddenly cancelled.

The Avanti West Coast service between London and Edinburgh was halted at Preston, Lancashire, late last night.

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Avanti passengers were stuck for hours at Preston after their train was cancelledCredit: X/JamesNokise

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The London Euston to Edinburgh service was axed due to an issue with the trackCredit: AFP

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Some passengers were transported to their destinations in taxisCredit: X/JamesNokise

Frustrated travellers, including dozens of schoolchildren, were left for hours into the night without transport after the service was abandoned south of the border.

Some passengers travelling to Edinburgh did not reach the capital until the early hours, nearly double the time that their original trip was meant to last.

The train left Euston station at 4.40pm yesterday but after nearly three hours into the journey passengers were stunned to receive an email saying it was cancelled.

Following some confusion, onboard staff confirmed that the service would be stopping at Preston – 186 miles from the capital – and ordered them off the train.

Stand-up comedian James Nokise said a connecting train was full and afterwards there were no more trains travelling north of the border.

The New Zealander, who branded the situation “ridiculous”, revealed that taxis were organised to transport people in groups to their destinations.

He shared a photo on social media of a huge snaking queue outside the station.

Staff from Greenfaulds High School in Glasgow were forced to order their own coach as the pupils were too young to travel home alone in taxis.

Another passenger blasted Avanti and said that “50 12-year-old” pupils heading for Glasgow were stuck at Preston, adding “we can’t send kids alone in taxis”.

In a message to Avanti West Coast, the school wrote: “We have been able to resource, on our own, a coach to take us home.

“If we had not, we would have 50 young children abandoned on the streets of Preston once the station closes.

“Apologies from your wonderful staff here are kind but not enough. Very poor.”

On X last night Avanti reassured passengers that it was seeking to resolve the “issue as soon as possible”.

Mr Nokise was among the last passengers to depart Preston.

He got in a black cab with three other men at 10.30pm, around 15mins later than the train’s scheduled arrival time in Edinburgh.

The comedian and his fellow passengers did not reach the city until 3am, nearly twice as long as their rail journey was supposed to take.

Mr Nokise said he got an email offering £70 in compensation over the disruption.

Avanti said the cancellation followed the closure of the West Coast Main Line due to a track fault.

The line was reopened three hours later but no more trains were available.

The problem was reported by another Avanti train just after 4pm at Lockerbie.

The company has told passengers that those who could not travel to Scotland from Preston last night will still be able to use their original ticket today.

Those caught up in the disruption can also claim compensation through the firm’s website.

An Avanti West Coast spokesperson said: “We apologise to our customers who were caught up in last night’s disruption. The closure of the West Coast Main Line for over three hours due to a track defect had a significant impact on our services, with trains and traincrew unable to work our planned timetable resulting in cancellations of services north of Preston.

“Whilst alternative transport and overnight accommodation was sourced for most of those impacted we fully understand the frustrations of those customers whose journeys were affected, and we are extremely sorry for this.

“Anyone who was affected by last night’s disruption will be entitled to compensation and are urged to get in contact through our normal channels to process their claim.”

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