Travel trouble ahead as icy weather affects rail and roads

Rail passengers and commuters across the North West are being advised to check before they travel this week as low temperatures and ice will make for difficult travel conditions on the roads and the railways.

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning until Thursday 9 January for the North West and passengers should take extra care and plan their journeys in advance.

Over the next few days temperatures will widely plummet to between -2 and -5 and as low as -10 in some places. There will also be a mix of wintry showers and snow on higher ground.

Teams have been preparing for the weather this week by treating the tracks and station surfaces and have extra teams in place to keep the railway running.

In very cold weather, snow and ice can build up on the tracks blocking points, the equipment that allows trains to move between tracks. 

Overnight, track engineers are applying de-icer to points at locations in Buxton in the Peak District, Longsight in Manchester and Bootle in Merseyside to keep the railway running. In the day, we have extra staff available to monitor points carefully and also treat surfaces at stations to keep passengers safe.

Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said: “We’ve already seen the drop in temperatures impact the railway this week and whilst we plan and prepare, it could mean longer journey times. 

“We are urging passengers to check their journeys before travelling and to take extra care in the freezing conditions.”

Danny Vaughan, Transport for Greater Manchester’s Chief Network Officer, said: “With the weather forecast showing sub-zero temperatures across Greater Manchester and elsewhere over the coming days, we’re encouraging everyone to plan ahead, check before you travel and take extra care.

“Roads and pavements could be icy, making driving conditions difficult and impacting journey times. There may also be some disruption to public transport services.

“As always, they are being supported by our control room, which is staffed around the clock with links to local authorities and emergency services. Customers will also be able to find the latest information and travel advice on our social media and digital channels, with the Bee Network app also providing updates and bus and tram service departures.”

The Met Office yellow weather warning says Thursday and Friday will bring continued low temperatures with snow and ice warnings likely to be issued for the most likely impacted areas.

Fronts moving in from the southwest on Friday and Saturday bring the potential for more snow, with the possibility of further warnings.

Deputy Chief Forecaster, Chris Almond, said: “Thursday will see another cold night, with potentially the lowest temperatures of the Winter so far, -15°C or so is possible in locations with lying snow in Scotland or northern England.

“In the early hours of Friday, a front arriving from the west will encounter the cold air in place over the UK. This could bring further sleet or snowfall for some regions in the south and west, as well as a risk of ice for a time as it moves north-eastwards into central parts, but the extent of this is still uncertain.”