M6 lane closure for railway bridge replacement preparation
National Highways is supporting Network Rail as it works to replace a bridge carrying the west coast main railway line over the M6 south of Penrith in Cumbria.
Clifton bridge is located between junction 39 and junction 40 of the M6 and will be demolished and replaced during a two week spell - which also includes two full weekend closures of the motorway - in January of next year (2026).
Network Rail has issued the following news release about the project...
£60m investment for West Coast Main Line motorway bridge replacement in Cumbria
Network Rail is replacing Clifton bridge, near Penrith, in 2026.
Engineers are starting preparations on site one year before a major railway bridge is replaced in Cumbria.
The 71-year-old bridge, which takes trains over the M6 between the North of England and Scotland, has reached the end of its life, and needs to be replaced. Currently, only one train at a time is allowed on the bridge, which causes delays for passengers and freight services.
So workers can carry out the work safely, there will be road and rail closures in January 2026.
To complete the work, engineers need to dismantle the old bridge and take it away on the M6. The new bridge materials will be delivered by road and built on site.
This week, the team arrived on site to prepare a compound for the work.
National Highways is working on behalf of Network Rail to build an access road to the work site.
From January 2025 until the end of the project in 2026, there will be traffic management* in place on the M6, starting approximately three miles south of Junction 40.
The work will ensure safe and reliable journeys for passengers and freight over this vital 135-metre-long structure for years to come.
Olivia Boland, Network Rail sponsor, said: “We are rebuilding Clifton bridge over the M6 to keep rail passengers and motorway users safe for years to come. This project is essential as the bridge has reached the end of its life.
“The main work, which involves rail and road closures, is not happening until January 2026. However, people living in the Clifton area or driving past might notice the start of our construction activities.
“We’re working with National Highways to make sure we can carry out our work as safely as possible with as little inconvenience to local people and the travelling public. Thank you for your patience during this critical work.”
Steve Mason, National Highways’ programme delivery manager, said:
“This is an essential Network Rail project to secure the future of one of the most important railway lines in the country. We’ll be working closely with Network Rail throughout to keep motorway users and local people up to date with developments – especially as we approach the two weekend closures of the motorway at the beginning of next year.”
In January 2026, the railway will be closed for two weeks so the bridge can be demolished and replaced over two weekends. Network Rail is working with train operators to plan what alternative transport options will be available during this time.
The M6 will be closed over two weekends in January 2026. Between the evening of Friday 2 January and the morning of Monday 5 January 2026 and the evening of Friday 9 January and the morning of Monday 12 January, the motorway will be closed in both directions between junction 39 at Shap and junction 40 near Penrith.
Network Rail and National Highways will share plans for diversionary routes as a soon as possible.
Notes to Editors
Network Rail and National Highways worked together on a similar project in Greater Manchester in the autumn when Network Rail successfully replaced a railway bridge over the M62 near Rochdale requiring two weekend closures of the motorway.
*There will be a hard shoulder and lane one closure on the M6 northbound from January 2025 until, provisionally, the end of the project. Other traffic management will be in place during the project.
About the West Coast Main Line
The West Coast Main Line the busiest mixed-use railway in Europe, forming Anglo-Scottish journeys between London, Glasgow and Edinburgh via the West Midlands and North West, as well as providing commuter links direct to the capital through Hertfordshire, Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire.
This piece of track is the main route for electrified freight trains which helps to remove lorries from the roads and will contribute to the UK’s ambition to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
