High
winds


have
caused
all
ScotRail
trains
to
be
cancelled,
while
many
services
south
of
the
border
are
also
late
or
cannot
run
because
of
damage
caused
by
Storm
Isha.

ScotRail
withdrew
all
its
services
at
19.00
last
night,
and
warned
that
trains
cannot
run
today
until
Network
Rail
can
check
the
condition
of
each
section
of
line.

Train
operators
were
expecting
winds
of
up
to
130km/h
(80mph).

Last
night,
ScotRail
customer
operations
director
Phil
Campbell
said:
‘“The
heavy
wind
and
ongoing
rain
hitting
most
parts
of
the
country
mean
that
it
will
not
be
safe
for
our
customers
and
our
staff,
and
all
ScotRail
train
services
will
be
suspended.

‘We
know
the
impact
that
the
withdrawal
of
train
services
will
have
on
customers,
but
our
first
priority
is
always
to
ensure
the
safety
of
staff
and
passengers
–
and
this
is
a
necessary
step
to
ensure
everyone’s
safety
during
the
severe
weather.

‘Our
colleagues
at
Network
Rail
Scotland
will
be
working
flat
out
through
the
night
and
into
the
morning
to
carry
out
safety
checks,
and
assess
what
repairs
are
required
to
reopen
the
railway.

‘However,
customers
will
be
unable
to
travel
early
Monday
morning,
as
trains
will
not
be
able
to
operate
until
the
infrastructure
has
been
made
safe.

‘We
will
update
our
website,
mobile
app,
and
social
media
feeds
when
we
have
more
information,
and
customers
should
check
for
the
latest
updates
before
they
attempt
to
travel.’

Further
south,
operators
also
warned
of
disruption.
On
Great
Western
Railway,
trains
on
the
Exeter
to
Barnstable
branch
in
Devon
were
cancelled
yesterday
afternoon
and
evening
because
a
bridge
had
been
damaged
near
Eggesford,
but
it’s
not
known
if
the
damage
was
caused
by
the
weather.
However,
the
Okehampton
branch
was
blocked
by
a
fallen
tree,
and
again
there
were
no
trains
to
or
from
Exeter.

Meanwhile,
there
were
speed
restrictions
in
force
on
many
other
routes,
while
Northern
reported
flooding
between
Skipton
and
Lancaster
and
TransPennine
Express
said
delays
and
cancellations
were
likely
north
of
Preston,
affecting
trains
to
Glasgow
and
Edinburgh,
because
there
was
‘significant
disruption
on
the
West
Coast
Main
Line’.
TPE
urged
its
passengers
not
to
try
to
travel
on
its
services
to
Scotland
last
night
or
today.

Avanti
West
Coast
cancelled
later
Sunday
departures
from
London
Euston
after
18.15,
and LNER
advised
its
passengers
not
to
travel. Last
night’s
Caledonian
Sleepers
were
all
cancelled,
and
South
Western
Railway
said services
on
the
West
of
England
line
would
be
reduced.