Media centre

Friday 4 Dec 2015

Passengers advised to 'check before you travel' this weekend as severe weather speed restrictions come in across the north west

Region & Route:

| North West & Central

Speed restrictions are being put in place across large sections of the railway in the north west of England as the region prepares for further strong winds and rain.

From 10pm tonight (Friday) until midday on Sunday (6 December) Network Rail is setting a 50mph speed limit on the West Coast main line between Preston and Carlisle and a 40mph limit on other lines in the area.

This is to protect railway staff and passengers as high winds and heavy rain pose the risk of landslides, fallen trees and other damage to the railway.

Martin Frobisher, route managing director for Network Rail, said: “We care about the safety of passengers and staff. These speed restrictions over the weekend are to protect anyone on the railway from the forecasted high winds and heavy rain. This will add time to some journeys and may lead to some services being cancelled but I can assure passengers this is for their safety.

“We are working with train operators to minimise the impact as much as possible and will lift the restrictions as soon as the weather calms and it is safe to do so. We will have extra staff on duty across the network to tackle any issues which may arise. I thank passengers in advance for their patience and understanding and urge them to check for the latest information before travelling and allow extra time to complete their journeys.”

The speed restrictions are:

50mph in both directions on the West Coast main line between Preston and Carlisle

40mph in both directions between Barrow and Carlisle

40mph in both directions between Carlisle and Leeds

40mph in both directions between Lancaster / Morecambe and Leeds

40mph in both directions between Preston / Blackburn and – Leeds / York

Passengers can check for the latest information at www.nationalrailenquiries.co.uk  or with their train operator.