Damage caused to the West Coast Mainline Pic: Network Rail

Trains between Preston and Carlisle have been restored during Monday.

Engineers were able to access the tracks, which had been submerged in eight feet on water to the North of Lancaster and beyond, after Storm Desmond battered the region.

Trains are still unable to run beyond Carlisle with passengers advised to use alternative routes if they need to visit Scotland.

Preston had been the furthest North on the West Coast Mainline you could reach during the weekend and more than 200 stranded passengers had to be put up in West View Leisure Centre.

Debbie Francis from Network Rail said: “Now the floodwater has gone our track workers and engineers are on the railway to assess the extent of the damage. There is an inch-thick thick layer of mud on much of our safety-critical equipment and eight electrical cabinets have been submerged in water for more than 24 hours which will require a huge amount of work to rebuild and bring back into use.

“We have hundreds of staff working round-the-clock to keep as much of the railway open as possible. This will continue so we can reopen the West Coast main line as quickly as we can.

“We care about getting passengers where they’re going safely, and I’d like to thank them for their patience during this difficult time. As soon as there is more detailed information, we will make sure they are fully informed.”

Flood warnings for the River Ribble across all sections have now been withdrawn, although the river level remains high through Samlesbury and Brockholes.

Have you been affected by Storm Desmond? Let us know in the comments below