Customers have been advised to “avoid travel if at all possible” on Monday due to Storm Franklin, which is predicted to cause service disruptions. Previously, Storm Eunice brought severe weather throughout the whole United Kingdom. The National Rail has warned those who need to travel for work or school that there would be “severe disruption” to lines “across much of Great Britain” once services restart. This will include cancellations, delays, and decreased speeds aboard trains.
After issuing an amber wind warning for Northern Ireland and a milder yellow wind warning for much of the rest of the United Kingdom as Storm Franklin approaches, the Met Office has now issued this warning. Forecasters cautioned that inclement weather would be especially severe in the south of the nation during morning rush hour, which would be particularly detrimental to commuters.
Customer service representatives from TransPennine Express (TPE) are encouraging them to “avoid travel if at all possible,” especially for anyone planned to go north of Preston in Lancashire before 10 a.m. “Train services are interrupted along the West Coast Mainline as a result of the effects of Storm Franklin,” TPE operations director Paul Watson said in a statement on Sunday evening.
Because the safety of our customers and employees is our number one concern, we are advising them not to travel between Preston and Edinburgh/Glasgow until after 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. Anyone who plans to travel by rail today or before 10 a.m. tomorrow may opt to postpone their trip or get a refund if they like. According to the operator, any services that are up and running are likely to be “very busy.”
Customer support representatives at the Great Western Railway (GWR) have reaffirmed their call for passengers to travel only “if absolutely essential” on Monday, as services are likely to be “seriously interrupted throughout the network.” Customer service representatives at South Western Railway also warned people not to travel, stating that the weather conditions were “likely to impair efforts to assist stranded passengers.”
If you want to travel by train today or on Monday, National Rail recommends that you double-check the schedule before you leave. Flooding may occur as a result of the severe weather conditions, and any trees that have already been weakened by Storm Eunice may come crashing down.