Emergency incident by the railway tracks blocks the rail line near Preston

At 10:30am, Northern tweeted: “Due to the emergency services dealing with an incident near the railway between Preston and Bolton the line is blocked.

“Services running through these stations will be cancelled, delayed by up to 30 minutes or diverted.”

Northern confirmed the line had reopened at 12:03pm, adding “Services running through these stations are returning to normal but some services will still be cancelled or delayed.”

Residents reported seeing emergency services activity on Factory Lane in Penwortham sometime after 10am.

British Transport Police and Lancashire Fire and Rescue Service have been approached for comment.