All train services in Wales this Friday, 18th February, will be suspended to keep passengers safe as Storm Eunice brings gusts of up to 100mph.
Services will be suspended all day, with disruption expected into the weekend to allow for 1000 miles of track to be checked and cleared of debris.
The Met Office has issued a red ‘danger to life' weather warning in place for some parts of South Wales.
Transport for Wales is allowing passengers with tickets for the 18th or 19th February to travel today, 17th February, or over the weekend or on Monday if services have resumed then.
Great Western Railway is allowing alternative travel days through to Monday 21st February.
Avanti West Coast with tickets for Friday can use them either on Saturday 19th February or today, 17th February.
Bill Kelly, Network Rail Wales & Borders route director, said: “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.
“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, said: “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.”
GWR Managing Director Mark Hopwood said: “Speed restrictions will be put in place on our network, but the extent of those restrictions can only be determined by conditions on the ground and are likely to change throughout the day.
“We will continue to run as many trains as we can but those who need to travel should be aware that we will have to reduce the number of trains we can run, journey times will take longer, and those trains we can run will be much busier.
“Please do heed the usual advice to check before you travel.”
I think GWR’s Mark Hopwood has the right approach – speed restrictions and other measures as appropriate as the extent of conditions on the ground are assessed throughout the day”. Just blanket cancellation, all day and maybe into Saturday, of all trains, as Wales has done, is absurdely over the top. And who in Wales has made this decision, and what is his/her power to do so?
This is proof that all trees within 20 metres of railway lines need to be felled. Trees are the cause of most damage during storm conditions, and cause havoc every autumn anyway. Safety comes first.