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Sunday 25 Oct 2026

Major North West rail disruption as engineers battle Storm Boelo

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Rail passengers are being warned of major disruption to journeys today (Sunday 25 October) due to the ongoing impact of Storm Boelo in the North West of England.

The torrential rain and strong winds have caused tracks to become flooded and brought overhead lines which power trains down in several locations.

Network Rail is strongly advising people to check www.nationalrail.co.uk before they try to make any train journey in or through the region today.

Train services are expected to be delayed, amended or cancelled for most of the day in the areas where railway teams are responding to those incidents.

Some train operators are not running any services at all, and their customers are advised to check the live disruption pages on their websites:

• Avanti West Coast: Live train status
• Transpennine Express: Live travel updates
• Northern: Storm Austen and Storm Boelo travel advice

Engineers have battled through the night to inspect affected routes, remove trees and other debris, manage flooding and assess damage to overhead power lines.

Where necessary, temporary speed restrictions are being used to allow trains to continue operating safely in difficult conditions. 

The disruption is not limited to the railway. Strong winds and heavy rain are also affecting roads, power supplies and other infrastructure across northern Britain. Met Office warnings advise that the severe weather could cause road closures, longer journey times, power cuts and damage to buildings and trees. 

Storm Boelo is bringing very strong and disruptive winds to the North West, with widespread gusts of 50 to 60mph affecting northern areas. 

Chris Wright, Network Rail North West route director, said: "We’re really sorry for the disruption to people’s journeys today caused by Storm Boelo. Safety is our number one priority and we’re working as fast as we can to assess the overnight damage, clear debris and reopen routes as best as possible. However, with the extreme weather continuing today I’d urge everyone to check National Rail Enquiries and follow the advice of their train operator with weather conditions changing so quickly".

Several operators have introduced service alterations and have asked customers to only travel if necessary, with late-notice cancellations and changes expected.

With the situation developing, people can also follow for latest updates on Network Rail’s X accounts in the North West @NetworkRailLIV, @NetworkRailMAN, @NetworkRailLC and @NetworkRailWCML.

To learn more about how Network Rail deals with stormy weather you can visit: What does stormy weather do to the railway - Network Rail