East Coast Main Line passengers urged to plan ahead with Storm Ciarán set to bring strong winds and heavy rainfall

Network Rail have issued the following press release about the potential impact of strong winds on rail services until the weekend:

Passengers planning on travelling to and from London King’s Cross on the East Coast Main Line are being urged to check before they travel as heavy rain accompanied by strong winds in some areas could affect journeys until the weekend.

Owing to the adverse weather conditions brought by Storm Ciarán, passengers should allow extra time for their journeys and check before travelling as services may be disrupted by the weather.

Extra colleagues will be on hand across the network to help deal with any weather-related incidents more quickly, and engineers will be monitoring known flooding hotspots to try and alleviate the risk of the heavy rain creating floods on the line.

No speed restrictions are currently in place ahead of the adverse weather, but Network Rail teams will continue to monitor the weather in real-time throughout the coming days.

Strong winds can blow debris onto the railway line, including trees, which can block the track and cause delays to trains. Overhead power lines can also be affected, severing the power supply to trains. High winds can also make repairing faults more difficult, meaning that repairs can take longer to complete.

Network Rail is urging those who live near the railway to take steps to prevent damage to railway equipment by tying down any objects that could get onto the tracks.

Paul Rutter, Route Director for Network Rail’s East Coast route, said: “Storm Ciarán is set to bring high winds and heavy rainfall across the East Coast route from this evening. The adverse weather could bring disruption to the rail network with flooding and debris falling onto the tracks.

“We have extra colleagues on standby to respond to incidents more quickly should they occur, and our teams will be working hard to keep passengers safely on the move.

“We’re urging all passengers to check their journey before they travel via National Rail Enquiries or their train operator and thank passengers for their patience and understanding ahead of this potential disruption.”

A spokesperson on behalf of train operators said: “Our colleagues will be working extremely hard over the coming days to keep passengers on the move but also to keep them safe during this bad weather.

“We will be working closely with Network Rail to understand the impact on the rail network, and we are encouraging passengers to check their journey before travelling.”

To find out more about how Network Rail keeps trains running during extreme weather, visit: What does stormy weather do to the railway - Network Rail