Wednesday 22 Nov 2017
Severe weather could lead to travel disruption on South Western Railway route
- Region & Route:
- Southern: Wessex
- | Southern
High winds could lead to rail travel disruption later today (WEDS) and into tomorrow (THURS) on the South Western Railway route.
The Met Office has issued a ‘yellow’ warning, forecasting high winds and heavy rain, meaning travel disruption is possible.
Network Rail, working with its train operator, South Western Railway, has activated its weather contingency plans for some routes and is advising passengers to check before they travel by visiting www.nationalrail.co.uk
Network Rail’s weather contingencies include temporary speed restrictions to protect passengers and train crew from the effects of high winds, which can blow trees and other debris onto railway lines and overhead power lines.
With trains running at a reduced top speed (typically of around 50mph), drivers are better able to bring trains to a halt if anything is spotted ahead.
As well as speed restrictions, we are also running additional railhead cleaning trains to both confirm lines are clear and remove any tree debris.
People living near the railway can also help by securing garden furniture, equipment and trampolines, reducing the risk of them being blown onto the tracks or overhead power lines.
A spokesperson for Network Rail said:
“We are keeping a close eye on weather reports and are doing everything we can to prepare. This includes deploying additional teams across the South Western Railway network to remove debris quickly and safely if we need to, and to keep passengers moving.”
Routes subject to temporary speed restrictions are:
2200 Wednesday – 0200 Thursday
- Salisbury – Whimple
2000 Wednesday – 0200 Thursday
- Petersfield –Portsmouth Harbour
- Eastleigh - Cosham
- St Denys – Cosham
- Southampton Airport P’way – Weymouth
- Romsey – Southampton Central
As a result, there will be changes to some services and passengers are advised to check before they travel.
Other speed restrictions may be imposed as the situation develops.
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 -Joseph Gregory
Joseph.Gregory@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.
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