Media centre

Friday 21 Feb 2020

Passengers warned further wet weather could cause rail disruption

Region & Route:

North West & Central

With the wet weather continuing in the North West and Cumbria this weekend rail passengers are being advised to check before they travel.

Heavy rainfall has caused flooding in multiple locations on the West Coast main line and Cumbrian Coast line in recent days.

With ground already saturated from two major storms this month – Ciara and Dennis – the railway is at a heightened risk from any more bad weather.

Specialist Network Rail weather forecasters are monitoring the railway network extremely closely to ensure passengers can keep moving safely and frontline teams can respond to any incidents as soon as they happen.

Phil James, managing director for Network Rail’s North West route, said: “It’s been a real challenge battling the elements in recent weeks to keep the railway safe and passengers moving, and I thank them for their patience while we’ve tried our very best to keep trains running.

“The railway has taken a sustained battering from both Storm Ciara and Storm Dennis this month, so we have to take the threat of more heavy rain really seriously, with extra teams on standby to deal with any incidents.

“Sometimes that means putting temporary speed limits in place for trains, and while I appreciate journeys taking longer than expected can be frustrating, our number one priority has to be keeping passengers and our staff safe.

“I’d urge anyone planning to travel over the next few days to check www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator before setting off so they know exactly what to expect.”

Ground in the North of England is very wet from sustained heavy rain and with more on the way there is an increased risk of landslips and flooding.

Passengers are being advised that journeys will take longer than normal during the bad weather.

People should also check www.nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator before they travel.