Person dies on tracks at Leyland station, halting west coast trains

Train services on the main west coast route were suspended during Monday's morning rush hour after a person was found dead on the tracks at Leyland railway station in Lancashire. British Transport Police said officers were called to the station at 6.53am following reports of a casualty on the tracks, and that paramedics also attended. The person was pronounced dead at the scene.

A BTP spokesman said the incident is not being treated as suspicious and that a file will be prepared for the coroner. The force did not release further details about the person who died.

Avanti West Coast initially announced that lines were closed between Preston and Wigan North Western because emergency services were managing an incident. The operator later confirmed the lines had reopened, but warned that residual delays and some alterations were expected as services recovered.

Transpennine Express also reported disruption, saying it expected the knock-on effects to last until 10:30 BST. National Rail said that after emergency services dealt with the earlier incident, all lines had reopened, though trains running through the affected stations could still be cancelled, delayed by up to 60 minutes or revised.

The closure hit one of the busiest rail corridors in the country during the peak commuting period, leaving passengers facing cancellations and long delays through Preston, Leyland and Wigan North Western while the emergency response was under way. Operators advised travellers to check before setting out as timetables returned to normal.