Thousands of railway staff have worked through the night and into today to restore services across large parts of the rail network following severe disruption caused by Storm Goretti.
While much of the network – particularly in eastern and south-eastern England – remains open and operating normally, passengers are being urged to check their entire journeys before travelling, especially if heading into areas hit hardest by the storm.
Intense snowfall affected the West Midlands, Shropshire and Staffordshire overnight, while high winds battered the West Country and Wales. Network Rail teams are on the ground clearing routes, supported by chainsaw crews and snow ploughs to remove fallen trees and deep drifts.
In the West Midlands, passengers around the Birmingham area have been advised not to travel by train until at least midday. Some routes in the region are expected to remain closed until Saturday.
Wales has also been severely affected, with many lines closed and a reduced timetable in operation on routes that remain open, including services around Cardiff. Passengers are strongly advised to check their journeys before travelling.
Elsewhere, there will be no trains between Sheffield and Manchester until Saturday, while services in Cornwall are suspended until at least midday on the Plymouth to Penzance main line, with branch lines not expected to reopen until later this afternoon.
Several routes around Manchester into the Peak District, including the Manchester–Hadfield and Manchester–Buxton lines, will also remain closed until Saturday.
Network Rail regional director Jake Kelly said: “Thousands of railway colleagues are doing everything they can to get the railway open in areas affected by Storm Goretti, but I would strongly advise passengers to check their journeys today as we know some lines won’t be able to run until Saturday.”
Passengers are advised to keep up to date with the latest travel information before setting out.
Image credit: Network Rail