Storm Ciaran warning to anyone who lives near a railway line
A warning has been issued to anyone who lives near a railway line in the face of the oncoming Styrom Ciaran, which has triggered amber and yellow warnings of severe weather[1] across the UK for the rest of this week. Winds could top 85mph with 60mm of rain falling in places and the Environment Agency has issued dozens of flood warnings on top of the Met Office alerts.
Network Rail has issued its own warning to anyone living near a railway line. People who live near the railway are being urged to keep garden objects such as trampolines, tarpaulins, and tents tied down and secured to ensure they don’t end up on the tracks as a result of very strong winds.
The agency is also urging passengers to check before travelling in the days ahead as Storm Ciarán sweeps across the country, with extreme winds from 9pm on Wednesday lasting into Thursday. The storm system follows last month’s Storm Babet, meaning the ground is already saturated and flooding may impact some areas.
Owing to the adverse weather conditions, passengers should allow extra time for their journeys as speed restrictions may be brought in on some lines to ensure the safe running of trains, and check with National Rail Enquiries before travelling as services may be disrupted.
Marcus Jones, Network Rail’s route director, said: “We’ve brought in additional teams and contractors to keep train services running safely during the high winds and heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday… but please check your journey with National Rail Enquiries before travelling.
“If you live near the railway, please do remember that garden objects can end up on the tracks at any time if they’re not secured, but particularly when we see the strong winds that are predicted for the remainder of the week.”
No trains will operate west of St Austell[2] towards Penzance[3] from approximately 8pm on Wednesday until midday Thursday 2 November. Owing to local road conditions, rail replacement bus services being provided for planned engineering work currently taking place in Cornwall will be cancelled between St Austell and Penzance, St Erth and St Ives[4] during this time.
On Thursday and Friday services across some parts of the network could be cancelled or altered at short-notice; trains may be diverted with journey times likely to be significantly longer. Passengers are advised to check before they travel.
National Rail Enquiries has a dedicated Storm Ciarán page where passengers can check all parts of their journey: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/storm-ciaran-20231030/[5]
References
- ^ weather (www.nottinghampost.com)
- ^ St Austell (www.cornwalllive.com)
- ^ Penzance (www.cornwalllive.com)
- ^ St Ives (www.cornwalllive.com)
- ^ https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/storm-ciaran-20231030/ (www.nationalrail.co.uk)