Northern Belle and Freight Train Variety Around Carlisle 20 August 2026

Thursday 20th August at the Citadel Station and at Springfield near Gretna Junction. The highlight should have been the Northern Belle from Liverpool to Edinburgh and return, stopping for crew changes in both directions. It was due northbound in Platform 3 and I dutifully waited in Platform 4. After recording a few trains, the Belle arrived - in Platform 1 - it was a risk that it would be put there. I hot footed down the platform, up the steps onto the footbridge, down the steps to Platform 3 and along to the north end of Platform 1 where I just caught the departure. More success in the evening where there was a wait for some time between arrival and departure.

We also see the Tesco train among others in the morning pass through the station and then around midday at Springfield where it headed north at speed, followed by an engineer's train.

I returned to the station in the evening to record the Northern Belle again but also, to my surprise, two of the three early evening intermodals were running seriously late, and I think for different reasons. So three intermodals northbound plus the Belle!

The times shown on clips are for guidance only and shouldn't be taken as definitive.

Any observations are my own and not intended to show any authority and may show my misunderstanding.

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