Plans for trains to run to Corkickle from the south on the Cumbria Coast Line have been delayed by a week.
Work is continuing on Bransty Tunnel, which connects Whitehaven and Corkickle, and it remains shut.
It was hoped trains from Barrow and Lancaster would be able to terminate at Corkickle from next Monday, August 25, for passengers to then get on a bus.
However, in an update from Whitehaven & Workington MP Josh MacAlister, he said the extension will begin on September 1 instead as Northern said it needed more time to get the new Class 195 trains to be used on the line ready.
The tunnel has been shut since Friday July 25 when Network Rail engineers started scheduled survey work inside the structure.
Surveys identified a section of the tunnel floor needed extra strengthening to allow for the heavy machinery needed for the improvements, and the tunnel remains closed.
Passengers have been using replacement buses between Workington and Sellafield.
From Monday August 11, trains began serving the northern part of the line to and from Whitehaven.
Since the tunnel closure, people living in Braystones and Nethertown have had to call Northern to arrange taxis as buses could not serve the communities.
From September 1, trains will now stop at those train stations.
Mr MacAlister said: “I’ve been pressing them hard on this and welcome this development. I also asked them to sort out the issue with advance tickets being stopped which has seen ticket prices shoot up.
“That has now been done and as of now, you’ll be able to purchase advance tickets again.”
