Network Rail warns of impact of Storm Ashley in Lancashire over weekend
Passengers across the North West are being urged to check their journeys this weekend and tie down any loose items in their gardens ahead of Storm Ashley which is expected to arrive in in the early hours of Sunday.
The storm - the first of the season to be named by the Met Office - is anticipated to bring widespread rain, which will fall on already saturated ground and gusts of up to 65mph in some areas over the weekend.
This follows days of intense rainfall across the North West which has left some lines flooded and rail replacement services in operation.
North West Network Rail response teams have been working hard to prepare for the impacts, deploying pumps and using technology to ensure lines are clear where possible.
However, rail workers attending the scene of flooding in Cheshire on Friday were shocked to discover the drainage pump had been disabled by vandals who had cut the wires to the pump’s control panel.
More widespread heavy rain has also been forecast for Friday evening in parts of the North West.
This weekend we have additional teams on standby to remove trees and additional water pumps ready to be used if they are needed.
Paul Owen, North West operations director at Network Rail: “Our priority is to keep passengers and freight trains safely on the move, but due to the effects of Storm Ashley, some services will be delayed or diverted while our specialist responses teams clear any blockages or flooding away from the tracks.
“We are also expecting high winds which will mean speed restrictions on some routes for safety reasons.
“We would like to thank passengers for their patience. Our advice for passengers travelling to today is to check before you travel, as some journeys may take longer.”