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Tuesday 26 Jan 2016

'Check before you travel' - advice to train passengers as #StormJonas approaches UK

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

Network Rail today advised train passengers to check before they travel as Wales, northwest England and west Scotland brace for the arrival of Storm Jonas.

Forecasters predict snow will turn to rain when the storm, which has wreaked havoc in America, makes landfall after crossing the Atlantic.

As Jonas approaches Network Rail's frontline teams are on alert ready to tackle any problems the storm may cause.

A spokesperson for Network Rail said: "We are preparing for the worst while of course hoping for the best. 

"With a lot of rain expected to fall on already-saturated areas, flooding is likely. And in some places repairs are still taking place following damage from the last storms. 

"As you'd expect we're drafting in additional frontline staff to tackle any potential problems that may arise. 

"Our advice to train passengers is: Check before travel on nationalrail.co.uk, so you're up to date and know what to expect."

The West Coast main line remains closed at Lamington, near Lockerbie, Dumfries and Galloway, while Network Rail repairs a railway viaduct severely damaged by Storm Frank.

Repair work continues across Cumbria and Lancashire on a series of railway embankments and other infrastructure damaged by December's storms and floods. 

At Caldew Junction, north of Carlisle, which was under eight foot of floodwater in early December, engineers are putting rebuilt electrical units, for powering signals, on stilts to guard against them being destroyed again by floods in future.

In Wales the Conwy Valley line remains closed following the floods over Christmas. Record rainfall caused damage to more than 100 locations on the line from Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog. Clean-up and repairs continue, with the line scheduled to re-open by the end of February. 

With high winds forecast when Jonas arrives, trains are set to run at reduced speeds on the line from Chester to Holyhead, on the Isle of Anglesey.