Travel news - live: London Underground suffers delays and suspensions on all but two lines amid Storm Eunice
Following Storm Dudley, Storm Eunice is set to cause delays and cancellations for travellers
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Storm Eunice is causing UK-wide travel disruption as the country is battered by winds of up to 100mph.
GWR, Great Anglia and Southeastern have all suspended all services for the rest of the day; as have South Western, Chiltern Railways, and the Heathrow and Stansted Express.
In the capital, the London Underground could grind to a halt as extreme weather has affected all but two lines on the Transport for London (TfL) network.
Meanwhile, all trains from Euston station have been cancelled.
A red weather warning is now in place across various parts of the country, with turbulent winds causing havoc for pilots trying to land at Heathrow airport; earlier today, London City Airport suspended all flights.
Train operators and ferry firms are also warning people not to attempt to travel today. All rail services in Wales are suspended for the entire day, with disruption to services expected to continue into the weekend.
Rail passengers who do try to make journeys face much slower trips, with emergency speed restrictions in place and sharply reduced services.
On the Irish Sea, some ferries have been cancelled amid the wild weather.
All Devon & Cornwall branch lines suspended on Friday
Train services on all branch lines in Devon and Cornwall are suspended tomorrow, except for Exmouth-Exeter, according to Network Rail Western.
The Severn Beach line is also suspended, while a temporary speed restriction will be put in place across the entire route.
“Avoid travelling tomorrow if you can, but if you must travel, check before you go as rail services will be disrupted by the bad weather,” Devon County Council warned on Twitter.
Merseyrail expects disruption from midday Friday
Northern operator Merseyrail, which serves the area around Liverpool and Birkenhead, has advised passengers not to travel tomorrow unless absolutely necessary.
“Strong winds are forecast on Friday 18 February and we expect disruption to our services from midday,” reads an online statement from the operator.
“If you need to travel please prepare alternative transport for the afternoon in case services can no longer run, as it is unlikely rail replacement buses will be able to operate due to disruption on the roads caused by the high winds and heavy rainfall.”
Fishguard to Rosslare ferries cancelled
Ferry operator Stena Line has posted a weather update cancelling ferry services from Fishguard to Rosslare tonight and throughout tomorrow.
“Today’s 23:45 hrs sailing from Fishguard today 17/2 is cancelled due to Storm Eunice,” reads the website update.
“All sailings on Friday 18/2 the 13:00 and 23:45 sailings are cancelled due to Storm Eunice. Please check back here for further details.”
Wales cancellation decision ‘not made lightly'
In a joint statement from Welsh train operators, Bill Kelly of Network Rail Wales has said that the decision to suspend all services across the country tomorrow has not been made lightly.
“The decision to temporarily close the railway in Wales has not been made lightly but the safety of passengers and staff is our top priority,” Mr Kelly said in the statement.
“Storm Eunice is expected to bring extreme high winds of up to 100mph and in places it is very likely trees and debris will be blown onto train lines.
“We are sorry for the disruption caused by closing the railway and we will continue to work hard, along with our train operator colleagues, to get train services back up and running as soon as it is safe to do so.
“Passengers who are planning to travel over the weekend are strongly advised to check before they travel as the unpredictable nature of storms such as Storm Eunice means the impact on services can change quickly.”
Martyn Brennan, Operations Director at Transport for Wales, added: “The safety of our customers and our colleagues sits at the very heart of what we do and for this reason, we have taken the difficult decision to suspend all TfW services Friday until it is safe to re-open. The extreme weather forecast for Storm Eunice is very concerning, so we are strongly advising people not to attempt to travel during this time as services will not be operating.
“For those who have already purchased a ticket to travel during Storm Eunice, they can choose to either travel today, Thursday 17th, on Saturday 19th or on Sunday 20th. Alternatively, customers can claim a full refund in the normal way. I would like to thank customers for their understanding and support.”
All Wales trains suspended on Friday
All train services across Wales will be suspended tomorrow, Friday 18 February, as Storm Eunice hits the country.
The decision was announced in a joint statement from Network Rail and other local operators, in order to keep passengers safe during the stormy conditions.
A red warning has been issued with winds of up to 100mph expected.
No rail replacement services will be offered due to the extreme weather.
Transport for Wales is allowing passengers with tickets for tomorrow to travel today or over the weekend, if services resume. Original tickets will be valid for these journeys.
GWR is also offering passengers flexibility, with tickets from today to Monday (21 February) valid for any day between now and then.
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