By Network Rail advises passengers not to travel in the East Midlands today
As Storm Eunice begins to pick up speed across the country, Network Rail has issued an urgent plea to it’s East Midlands customers.
Rail passengers are being advised not to travel in the East Midlands on Friday 18 February, as Network Rail prepares to respond to storm damage.
The company stated that trained workers have been deployed at key locations across the region to respond to issues quickly, as strong winds and heavy rain are expected to cause widespread disruption for the railway.
Fallen trees and other debris can blow onto the line, with the potential to damage train-powering electric wiring or block the track.
As the Met Office has issued a rare Red Weather Warning, trains will need to run at lower speeds to be safe – and services will be significantly reduced.
It comes on the back of damage to overhead lines in Luton and St Albans during Storm Dudley on Thursday night.
Engineers will be going back to the site at St Albans tonight from around 11pm and will be working through the night to repair and secure the overhead lines before the worst of Storm Eunice.
Gary Walsh, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail, said: “Running a railway through extreme weather is always a challenge. We have extra workers out on the network at key locations, ready to react quickly to Storm Eunice and repair the railway wherever it’s safe to do so. As the weather worsens I’d advise passengers to avoid travelling on Friday and, wherever possible, try to replan your journey when conditions improve.”
Other transport links have also issued warnings, with the Humber Bridge already enforcing a partial closure with the risk of a complete closure later on today should winds hit more than 80 mph.
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