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Thursday 19 Oct 2023

Storm Babet: North West passengers advised to check before rail travel

Region & Route:

North West & Central

• Rail passengers are being advised to check before they travel during Storm Babet
• Disruption is possible with heavy rain and strong winds forecast until the weekend
• Residents living by the railway advised to tether down loose garden items at risk of blowing onto tracks 

Rail passengers across Network Rail’s North West route are being warned of travel disruption over the coming days as Storm Babet impacts on the railway.

Extreme weather action teams are on standby to tackle any problems caused by the stormy weather at key locations on the West Coast main line, North West and Cumbrian rail routes over the coming days.

This includes monitoring areas which could see flash flooding of tracks, or trees being blown onto the network causing disruption.

There were two instances of trees falling onto the overhead wires which power trains yesterday (Wednesday 18 October) in Prestbury in Cheshire and Broadbottom in Tameside.

With the storm set to intensify, people living by the railway are also being advised to tether down any loose items in their gardens like furniture, fencing and trampolines which can be blown onto tracks by gale-force winds.

Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “While our extreme weather action teams have been preparing for this bad weather for several days, it’s really difficult to know exactly when and where it will strike, which is why we're asking people to check before they travel.

“The best way to do that is to check National Rail Enquiries before you set out on your journey. Also if you live by the railway please tie down any loose garden items - it’s amazing what can be carried by a strong gust of wind and end up on the tracks - causing unnecessary delays for passengers and freight.”

People planning journeys over the next two days should check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk.

For more information on how storms impact the railway and how Network Rail works to keep people on the move, you can visit https://www.networkrail.co.uk/running-the-railway/looking-after-the-railway/delays-explained/storms/.