Photo: Doug Sim, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia CommonsA little-known coastal route round the western edge of the Lakes, running on the beach at St Bees and Seascale with fells one side and sea the other.
From Carlisle the line heads west across the Solway plain through Wigton to Maryport, where it turns south along the coast through the old harbour towns of Workington and Whitehaven. Beyond Whitehaven it becomes properly scenic: St Bees Head, the start of the Coast to Coast walk, then miles of running directly along the shore past Nethertown and Braystones, where the platforms are almost on the beach.
Sellafield's nuclear site passes on the landward side, then Seascale, Ravenglass (interchange for the narrow-gauge Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway to the foot of Scafell), the estuary at Eskmeals, Bootle and Silecroft under Black Combe. The line crosses the Duddon estuary at Foxfield and Kirkby-in-Furness to Askam and Barrow, where it becomes the Furness Line.
Northern Class 156 and 195 units work the route, which has many request stops. Ravenglass and St Bees are the stops to plan around.
The Solway Firth, St Bees Head, the beach at Nethertown and the Duddon estuary are on the right; Sellafield, the Lakeland fells and Black Combe are on the left.
Sides are given facing the direction of travel. Miles are approximate from the start of the journey.
Carlisle–Barrow–Lancaster by the coast is about 3 h 30 min; combined with the West Coast Main Line back to Carlisle it makes a good circular day using the Cumbria Travel Pass.
Many between Whitehaven and Barrow; ask the conductor and signal the driver.
Yes, Stagecoach buses across Cumbria and a Windermere lake cruise are included in the £40 day pass.
Scenic lineEngland's most celebrated main line, climbing from the Yorkshire Dales over Ribblehead Viaduct and Ais Gill summit into the Eden Valley.
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