Media centre

Thursday 23 Jan 2025

Storm Éowyn: Red weather warning will mean line closures on rail routes across Scotland

Region & Route:

Scotland’s Railway: Scotland

Storm Éowyn will cause significant disruption to Scotland’s Railway with a red warning meaning no trains will run on Friday to keep passengers and staff safe.

The Met Office has issued the rare red weather warning due to the very strong winds expected during the day on Friday, with 90mph gusts in some areas likely to damage railway infrastructure, uproot trees and blow debris onto tracks. 

No trains will run until the storm has passed and the lines inspected for damage.

Engineers will inspect the affected lines on Saturday morning for any damage and will reopen them as soon as it’s safe to do so, using a combination of locomotives, foot patrols and helicopter inspections. 

Extra engineers will be deployed across Scotland’s Railway to inspect lines, repair damage, and reopen routes as quickly as possible for passengers and freight customers once the weather clears. 

Ross Moran, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “With the Met Office issuing a rare ‘red’ warning, no trains will run in Scotland on Friday to keep our passengers and colleagues safe. 

“Our engineers will thoroughly inspect the network for any damage before we reopen the lines and restart train services on Saturday.

“The weather specialists in our control room will monitor conditions closely throughout Friday, and our teams on the ground will be ready to deal with any issues Storm Éowyn may cause.” 

Significant disruption is also expected on routes across Northen England and passengers should check their journey at nationalrail.co.uk or with their train operator before travelling.