Passengers warned not to make rail journeys as Storm Éowyn threatens region

Rail authorities have urged people not to make train journeys in the North West tomorrow (Friday, January 24) ahead of the arrival of Storm Éowyn.

The named storm will bring the strongest winds seen in a decade between 0300 and 1800 on Friday and will severely impact rail services north of Preston and south of Carlisle.

On the West Coast Main Line, no services will run North of Preston between 0300 and 2200 on Friday.

Services will start and stop at Preston.

At Preston station, some platforms may be closed for safety reasons due to high winds

No services will run on the Settle to Carlisle line and the Cumbrian coast line between 0300 on Friday and 12 noon on Saturday (January 25).

No services will run between Carnforth and Settle from 0300 on Friday to 12 noon Saturday.

No services will run on Windermere and Morecambe branches from 0300 on Friday to 12 noon on Saturday.

Passengers travelling on the Merseyrail network are advised to check before they travel.

The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for Storm Eowyn in Scotland and an amber warning for the rest of the UK, meaning there could be danger to life.

Network Rail has been closely monitoring the weather forecast for several days and has scores of workers ready to deal with flash flooding or fallen trees and other items blocking tracks.

Residents living by the railway are advised to tether down loose garden items, like trampolines or gazebos, which are also at risk of blowing onto tracks.

Paul Owen, director of operations for Network Rail’s North West route, said: “We are expecting severe impacts as a result of Storm Éowyn and the safety of passengers and our staff is our top priority.

“Our teams have been preparing for this bad weather for several days, and are ready to respond to deal with the impacts of high winds on the railway, such as fallen trees and infrastructure damage.”

He added: “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.”

Andrew McClements, customer experience and transformation director for TransPennine Express, said: “Our top priority is the safety of our customers and colleagues.

“We will do everything possible to keep people on the move under difficult conditions, however, due to the strong winds forecast for Friday we are asking people not to attempt to travel between Manchester/Liverpool and Glasgow/Edinburgh, or between York, Newcastle, and Edinburgh.

“The majority of our services on these routes will be cancelled and, due to the weather conditions, we will be unable to operate any rail replacement buses.”