Thursday 5 Dec 2013
13:00 - National rail update: storm impact
- Region & Route:
- National
Services in Scotland and the north of England continue to be severely impact by today's storm as wind speeds in excess of 100mph have been recorded.
Services in Scotland and north of Carlisle and Newcastle are currently suspended with other services in the north affected by speed restrictions and ad-hoc closures as conditions require (e.g. a tree coming down blocking a route).
Robin Gisby, director of operations said: "We’ve seen winds at over 100mph hit parts of the country which has caused trees to fall and debris to be blown on the railway, and teams are currently working as quickly as possible to repair damage caused. We’re working to keep as much of the network open as is possible."
Michael Roberts, Director General of the Rail Delivery Group, said: "Hundreds of rail staff have been working throughout the night and the morning to monitor the weather, prepare to react quickly to problems on the lines and keep passengers safe and informed.
"Many lines are open but some are running reduced timetables with the most severely affected areas being Scotland and parts of Northern England. Delays are possible so customers should check National Rail Enquiries before they decide to travel. A number of operators have lifted restrictions to allow tickets from today to be used tomorrow, and we advise passengers to check with their train company."
A further update will be issued at 3pm.
Notes to editors
We have had reports of trees, giant hay bales, factory roofs and hundreds of other items of debris having been blow onto the railway requiring removal.
Network Rail has hundreds of engineers across the network ready to react quickly to problems on the lines, removing trees and fixing equipment where necessary. The company is also monitoring its system of over 200 weather alarms across the network to help track the passage of the storm.
While every effort will be made to run services for passengers, it is necessary to follow industry-wide safety guidelines and implement speed restrictions and reduced timetables.
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Network Rail press office - National
020 3356 8700
mediarelations@networkrail.co.uk
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