Wednesday 21 Oct 2026
Priority railway drainage cleared to keep passengers moving this winter
- Region & Route:
- North West & Central
- | North West & Central: North West
Railway teams across the North West are targeting priority sites to prevent weather-related delays to passengers this winter.
Network Rail will have inspected 100% of its 130 hot spot drainage and earthworks sites in the region by the end of this month, ahead of what’s forecast to be a very wet November and December.
One area in particular is at Culcheth on the Chat Moss line between Liverpool and Warrington.
Footage released today (Wednesday 21 October) shows Network Rail and its contractor QTS group carrying out inspections as part of weather resilience preparations.
The section of railway has been prone to flooding in the past, but over £1.5m has been invested to improve the issue since 2021.
The team was checking recently installed earthwork strengthening, overgrown plant and vegetation clearance, drainage, and earth movement monitoring equipment.
Across Network Rail’s North West route, there are 65,000 individual drains, including ditches, pipes and culverts for its asset management and maintenance teams to look after.
Severe weather can never be entirely prevented from affecting the railway, yet the rail industry has joined-up and robust plans in place to keep passengers and freight moving safely.
While efforts have been focused on the high-priority areas, with 40-60% more rainfall forecast than usual due to the climate phenomenon El Nino*, delays caused by flooding or fallen trees are likely this winter.
Passengers are therefore advised that - if storms are forecast - to check National Rail Enquiries at www.nationalrail.co.uk before they set off on their journey so they aren’t caught out by unexpected impacts to train services.
Olivia Devan, Network Rail North West principal route engineer, said: “Safety is always our number one priority, and we’ve been working since the summer to get the railway ready for what’s expected to be a very tough winter weather wise.
“While we will do everything we can to keep passenger and freight trains moving, there is a chance wet and windy conditions could cause disruption in the coming months. For that reason, while keeping an eye on the weather forecast, I’d also encourage those making any rail journey to also check National Rail Enquiries to make sure your train is running before you set out for the station.”
In addition, Network Rail’s specialist fleet of seven autumn treatment trains are already out across the network keeping routes clear from leaves on the line. They will travel 100,000 miles until the start of December.
A further £41m has also been invested into earthworks schemes to strengthen railway embankments and cuttings.
For more information on how Network Rail is reacting to climate change you can visit: https://www.networkrail.co.uk/sustainability/climate-change/climate-change-adaptation/
To plan journeys in advance people can use www.nationalrail.co.uk or visit their individual train operator's website for the latest travel updates.
Notes to Editors
*El Niño is a natural climate pattern defined by the warming of sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean. In 2026 it’s expected to be the strongest on record. In the UK, an El Niño event increases the likelihood of warmer, wetter, and stormier conditions. A severe or "supersized" El Niño can trigger heavy rainfall, severe autumn and winter storms, and an elevated risk of flooding. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/impacts-of-el-nino-on-the-uk/impacts-of-el-nino-on-the-uk
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Chris Halpin
Head of communications, North West route
Network Rail
chris.halpin@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk