Rail passengers travelling from London to Scotland have told how Avanti West Coast "abandoned" them during the middle of the night - with some left to sleep on a train station floor.
The London Euston service to Glasgow Central departed the capital at 8pm yesterday to head north of the border.
But, after being "kicked off" the carriages at Carlisle, passengers claim they had been asked to queue "for hours" while the rail operator attempted to arrange onwards transport to Glasgow.
One customer shared their dismay on Twitter and criticised the rail giant for not providing an overnight service for those "who can't stand on their feet".
Another expressed her concerns that "people will need medical help soon" due to potential hypothermia.
Pictures posted online show passengers queuing at the station, with one lying down on the floor at the entrance to the station.
Avanti West Coast issued an apology last night and tweeted they were 'trying their best' to organise rail replacement vehicles for the passengers, amid claims that only four taxis had appeared in the two hours following the cancellation of the service.
Reports on Twitter suggest passengers were still waiting for a taxi around 3:30am this morning, with one passenger alleging that they were denied the chance to return to the warmth of the empty train because staff had been given the first taxi home.
Passenger Gillian McLees said some people ended up sleeping on the floor of the station, including one elderly woman who was comforted by her fellow passengers.
She told Glasgow Live : The debacle was a nightmare. Five minutes before Carlisle we were told we'd have to get off at Carlisle as the train couldn't go any further as there was no space for the train at Glasgow Central.
"They left us standing in the freezing cold. We were put off the train about midnight and then I left the station just round about 3am. They ended up sending taxis down from Glasgow. It was ridiculous. It was hours just sitting in the station.
"There were one or two people sleeping. One old lady had been travelling back to Glasgow from India. She was obviously struggling with the temperature and ended up lying down, we had to put stuff under her and cover her. We ended up asking that she went in the next taxi, as we didn't think she would survive the night. It was proper freezing and they didn't have any heating."
Avanti West Coast issued an apology last night to passengers and said they were 'trying their best' to organise rail replacement vehicles for the passengers.
Our sister title, Glasgow Live, contacted rail operator have been contacted for an updated response.
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