West Coast Main Line closed for a month between Glasgow and Carlisle after Storm Frank damage

Virgin Trains said it backed Network Rail Scotland's decision to shut the line and apologised for the disruption.

Train travel between Glasgow and Carlisle has been cancelled until February while repairs are conducted on a major line damaged by Storm Frank.

Travellers must take bus replacement services or rail diversions via Dumfries until a viaduct on the West Coast Main Line is investigated and secured - adding 90 minutes to journeys between the Scottish and English cities.

Operator Network Rail said the repairs are expected to last until the end of January with trains due back on the line on February 1.

Phil Verster, managing director of Network Rail Scotland, said their engineers had been "working round the clock for the past few days" to understand the extent of the damage to the Lamington Viaduct near Lockerbie.

"While that assessment work is not yet fully complete, it is clear now that the damage is significant," Mr Verster said.

"We are already working on solutions as to how we get the viaduct fixed and allow us to safely run trains over it again."

Virgin Trains apologised for the disruption and confirmed the diversions will add "around 90 minutes" to journeys between Glasgow and Carlisle.