Storm Eowyn Disruption - 24/1/25

[800001]

Not sure when it was updated, but LNER now saying no trains north of Newcastle all day tomorrow, previously it was no trains after 11am I believe?

There will be no trains operating north of Newcastle in either direction on Friday 24 January and no LNER services operating within Scotland. Services north of York will also be subject to short-notice cancellation and significant delay due to weather-related speed restrictions. Where trains are cancelled or routes are closed, we will be unable to provide road transport due to the expected severity of the weather.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Tbh, I think the main problem with the Calder Valley line is the fact that between Copy Pit/Summit Tunnel and Bradford Interchange/Brighouse it runs through some fairly densely wooded areas.....with a high risk of falling trees.

That’s the only logical conclusion I can think of as to why this line is closed when lines much closer to the “Red zone” stay open.

The Isle of Man has a red warning for most of the day so I wouldn’t be getting home anyway, mind.

 

[pokemonsuper9]

They're running the Leeds-Wigans just between Todmorden and Victoria, meanwhile the Headbolt Lane - Blackburn are running in full, is it really that hard to run the extra 45 minutes to Wigan?
Also now are Ince and Moorside going to get basically no trains tomorrow due to predicted weather elsewhere?

 

[ainsworth74]

Northern have updated their service disruption list now:

DO NOT TRAVEL​

Friday 24 January and Saturday 25 January​

• Barrow/Windermere / Oxenholme – Manchester Airport
• Carlisle – Barrow/Lancaster (Cumbrian Coast)
• Morecambe Heysham Port – Lancaster
• Leeds – Settle – Carlisle
• Leeds – Morecambe

Friday 24 January only​

• Newcastle – Ashington (Northumberland Line)
• Newcastle – Morpeth
• Newcastle – Chathill
• Newcastle – Carlisle. Except limited services between Newcastle and the MetroCentre.
• Sheffield – Huddersfield (Peniston Line)
• Halifax – Huddersfield
• Wigan – Leeds
• Manchester Victoria – Leeds (via Hebden Bridge)
• Todmorden – Halifax/Brighouse (Calder Valley Line)
• Sheffield – York

Advise against travel on Friday 24 January​

On the below routes there will be large gaps in services or the route will only be partially served. We strongly advise you do not travel on these routes.

• Leeds – Lincoln. Will operate Sheffield - Lincoln only. Services Leeds – Sheffield are available. To travel Leeds – Lincoln change at Sheffield.
• Sheffield – Scarborough. Will operate Hull - Scarborough only, calling at all stations Hull - Bridlington.
• York - Bridlington – will operate York - Hull only. Stops between Hull and Bridlington are served on the route above.
• Leeds – Harrogate
• Chester – Leeds. Will operate Chester – Manchester Victoria only.
• Blackpool North – York. Will operate Halifax – York only.
• Leeds – Nottingham. Will operate Leeds – Sheffield only. Check with other operators for services to Nottingham.
• Darlington – Saltburn.
• Newcastle – Middlesborough.
• Middlesborough – Whitby. Except for the following journeys being provided to support trips to and from schools:
  • 0654 Middlesbrough- Whitby
  • 0844 Whitby-Middlesbrough
  • 1404 Middlesbrough-Whitby
  • 1557 Whitby-Middlesbrough

 

[43066]

Northern have updated their service disruption list now:

Interesting, and perhaps instructive for any travel plans this weekend, that the picture now appears to be worsening into Saturday.

 

[infobleep]

If you live in a rural location with power supplied via a pole system you probably still do.

I don't live in a rural arra but my power is supplied by a pole system.

I do have some candles but no way of lighting them.

 

[Bikeman78]

I always tend to book hotels at the flexible rates. Costs a bit more but have probably saved a bit by being able to cancel and then rebook and I have not lost the trip.

The thought of a hotel pocketing the advance payment irks me should weather or other circumstances get in the way and as some of my trips involve sea crossings I am even more wary.

However, I do think if Amber or Red weather warnings are issued hotels should be made to offer a minimum of a free transfer if not actually a refund.

Premier Inn will let you move the dates up to 1300 on the day of arrival, even on the non refundable rate. You have to pay the excess if the new dates are dearer but you get money back if the new dates are cheaper. I had a trip to the Netherlands booked which I had to cancel when Covid struck. Initially the hotel said bad luck, no refund. Fortunately for me, the Netherlands went into lockdown a matter of days before my stay so they had no option but to refund me.

 

[infobleep]

Red warning ( which is rare) for here in central belt of Scotland ,Schools closed tomorrow, advice not to go out . For me that means stay indoors and cant see much if any public transport running here.

So will staff working at TOCs be advised to stay at home, given no trains running?

 

[kez19]

Not sure when it was updated, but LNER now saying no trains north of Newcastle all day tomorrow, previously it was no trains after 11am I believe?

I think that update came through between 1-3pm, I was on the train returning.

I still partly think the messaging for 11am should not have been said, if was myself I would have said travel today or Saturday (pending on lines opening), that’s my only fault for the warnings

 

[infobleep]

More frequently than that!

I imagine they would have some kind of weather monitoring stations at some convenient points near or along railway lines. Would that be correct?

 

[Bald Rick]

I imagine they would have some kind of weather monitoring stations at some convenient points near or along railway lines. Would that be correct?

Access to the Met provider‘s weather stations and models. But then lots of that is publicly available anyway.

 

[Horizon22]

So will staff working at TOCs be advised to stay at home, given no trains running?

Depends if they decide to even staff the stations (that aren't 24/7) or not. Other things like depots and control rooms will probably still need to be staffed.

 

[Sleepy]

Greater Anglia have cancelled all 1st rural route journeys in the morning.

 

[43066]

So will staff working at TOCs be advised to stay at home, given no trains running?

In terms of traincrew, I would imagine so for those operators with nothing at all running. Elsewhere there will no doubt be quite a few drivers and guards sitting spare, due to partially or fully cancelled turns.

Other functions will likely either work from home, or still be expected to attend, depending on role.

 

[infobleep]

Yes, I rarely book short trips or one night trips far in advance now because of this reason. I wait until around 4 to 5 days before, then make a call.

I book any trip I wish in advance and haven't been affected as far as I can remember because mostly one won't be.

I take a risk doing this but it seems I'm successful and no doubt the overall saving in costs, by booking ahead, outweighs any future potential loss.

 

[Horizon22]

Greater Anglia have cancelled all 1st rural route journeys in the morning.

Do you mean first trains on rural routes? That will be route-proving the lines before start of service to check for damage/debris etc.

 

[Sleepy]

Do you mean first trains on rural routes? That will be route-proving the lines before start of service to check for damage/debris etc.

Yes that's what usually happens.

 

[infobleep]

This isn't correct. All LNE routes north of Sheffield and Doncaster subject to 50mph BSR EXCEPT ECML which will have BSRs put on based on reports from the wind alarms tomorrow

Is that because they expect the ECML to be worse affected or less affected?

 

[Christmas]

DMUs with route conductors where required would absolutely be able to keep a skeleton service going tomorrow.

 

[kez19]

Maybe a bit of an unrelated question, how do freight trains and the alike work in these conditions, are they able to still use the track or are they delayed/called off as well?

 

[Horizon22]

Maybe a bit of an unrelated question, how do freight trains and the alike work in these conditions, are they able to still use the track or are they delayed/called off as well?

Being discussed here: https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/freight-during-a-storm-closure-what-happens.280574/

But yes as Network Rail are the infrastructure manager and if they are closing the route, that means freight is off too.

 

[PyrahnaRanger]

Northern have updated their service disruption list now:

Dagnamit Northern... So now I can get to Carlisle, but not Workington...

Let's see what Avanti do tomorrow, but it looks like I might be here another night

Edited to add: Northern Website still showing trains from Lancaster to Whitehaven and Carlisle to Workington on Saturday afternoon. Not helpful with a do not travel - are they on or not? Guess I'll have to check again tomorrow and work out what to do after that!

 

[alxndr]

So will staff working at TOCs be advised to stay at home, given no trains running?

No idea about TOCs, but in my case at NR I've been instructed to stay on standby at home rather than travelling into the depot in the morning. Signalling failures are unlikely to be in need of immediate attendance with no trains running (and probably unlikely to manifest if the infrastructure isn't being used) so the risk/benefit doesn't warrent having me out and about. I only stay 20-30 minutes from the depot in any case. If I had chainsaw competencies then it would be different, but without them there's little I can bring to the party.

First time this has happened for me, although in a previous storm we chickened out of doing any maintenance during the night after stepping outside to see the OLE breakers tripping and the trees blowing violently around.

 

[Dave W]

About a decade ago I was on a tour on a filthy dank day in South West Iceland. Gusts of 70mph... Bus ran fine, yeah (sort of). But the three people who were blown over in a car park near to the shore were a bit bruised. Wind is not to be fudged with, especially by the sea.

I will be occasionally righting my plant pots in comparatively whispering 50mph London gusts. But all best wishes to those in the firing line. That Atlantic depression looks very intense.

 

[scotrail158713]

I take my hat off to those who deal with passengers daily. Despite the Scotrail tweet explicitly announcing service cancellations everywhere for tomorrow the first comment says “No service to Kilwinning?”.

 

[A S Leib]

I'm guessing there won't be any passenger and few, if any, freight ferries in the Irish Sea tomorrow?

 

[Bald Rick]

I'm guessing there won't be any passenger and few, if any, freight ferries in the Irish Sea tomorrow?

It seems everything is cancelled from now until tomorrow evening when the winds have died down. Although I imagine the Irish Sea will be somewhat rollercoaster-esque.

 

[class17]

Whilst there are no trains north of Preston tomorrow, the station can suffer wind damage, with sometimes all, or part of the station closed to passengers. Lets hope it will be OK tomorrow.

 

[TUC]

Northern have updated their service disruption list now:

Do not travel Halifax-Huddersfield seems a somewhat bizarre inclusion. It may be affected by services that interwork with it not operating, but that is a different issue.

 

[dk1]

So much for those great british rail sale bargains . You will not be able to exchange for a later date at the same price

These things happen.

I'm supposed to be getting the 07:59 from Saltburn to Darlington tomorrow then the 09:00 on to Peterborough, with an hour before the 11:50 to Ipswich.
Northern are not yet saying their part won't run, so I think I'll see if I can get from Darlington onwards on some service. Too late now to go a day early, and there would be no point leaving it until Saturday in my case.

No envisaged problems with us here in GA land

So will staff working at TOCs be advised to stay at home, given no trains running?

It’s not affecting my TOC but if it was it would be just a skeleton crew asked to go in. The rest would be told to stay at home but keep your phones on just incase.