Media centre

Thursday 8 Jan 2026

UPDATE: Passengers across Britain reminded to check before they travel on Thursday evening and Friday morning as Storm Goretti moves in

Region & Route:

National

• Heavy snow and high winds moving into western, north-western and central parts of England and Wales this afternoon means disruption to trains in some parts of the national network.
• Some lines in parts of Wales are closed as of 1600 today (Thursday 8 January) and a rare red weather warning for high winds means all trains will be suspended in Cornwall, England, from 1800. Further line closures are expected in the West and East Midlands and North West overnight and Friday morning as the weather system moves north and east.
• Disruption will continue overnight and into Friday, including changes to services on the West Coast Main Line and potential line closures elsewhere.

Passengers planning to travel are strongly advised to check their full journeys as this is a developing situation and alterations to services may be made at short notice.

Network Rail’s regional director Jake Kelly said: “Thousands of railway colleagues are doing everything they can to keep the railway running across the country, but even with their best efforts we are concerned that the scale of the storm means that severe disruption is inevitable.

“While Storm Goretti is forecast to impact most of Britain in some way, there are some areas that are likely to be more affected than others, so our best advice to customers is simply to arm themselves with the best information they can, from National Rail or their operators.

“In the meantime, we are working hard to get the network as best prepared as we can so we can keep rail customers moving.”

Railway colleagues are:

• Clearing and gritting platforms for passengers
• Organising extra runs of Snow and Ice Treatment Trains and snow ploughs
• Arranging chainsaw gangs to be on shift through the storm to remove blockages
• Checking tunnels for low-hanging icicles
• Adapting trains for the cold weather
• Inspecting key drainage sites to make sure they’re clear of obstructions
• Checking points heating (points can jam in snowy conditions)
• Working together to adapt service patterns and timetables to the changing weather

For more information about how Network Rail prepares for stormy and cold weather click here.

For up to date service information at National Rail, click here.