Train services were temporarily halted after a misleading image, believed to be AI-generated, circulated on social media suggesting serious damage to Carlisle Bridge in Lancaster following Wednesday night’s earthquake. The tremor was felt across Lancashire and the southern Lake District, prompting Network Rail to take immediate safety precautions.

The image appeared around 00:30 GMT, leading Network Rail to suspend trains crossing the bridge while inspections were carried out. Services resumed at approximately 02:00 GMT. The incident caused delays to 32 passenger and freight trains, with some impacts extending as far north as Scotland due to the interconnected nature of the West Coast Main Line.

A Network Rail spokesperson said:

"The disruption caused by the creation and sharing of hoax images and videos like this creates a completely unnecessary delay to passengers at a cost to the taxpayer. It adds to the high workload of our frontline teams, who work extremely hard to keep the railway running smoothly. The safety of rail passengers and staff is our number one priority and we will always take any safety concerns seriously."

The British Transport Police confirmed they were aware of the situation but stated no investigation is currently underway. Network Rail emphasised that while some trains were directly stopped or slowed for safety checks, additional delays resulted from earlier services being held up.

Railway expert Tony Miles noted that the timing of the incident meant few passengers were affected, as the services involved were mainly freight and sleeper trains. He cautioned:

"They generally go slow so as not to disturb the passengers trying to sleep — this means they have a bit of leeway to go faster and make up time if they encounter a delay. It's more the fact that Network Rail will have had to mobilise a team to go and check the bridge which could impact their work for days. If they actually did delay a train it could have impacted someone who had to get to a medical appointment, or a flight or a funeral. It may seem like a game, but anyone who's thinking of doing this should consider how it will impact real people."

Image: Network Rail