Storm Gerrit triggers hundreds of train, flight and ferry cancellations

Christmas signalling work has led to closed lines between London and Luton

Hundreds of trains, flights and ferries have been cancelled as Storm Gerrit disrupts travel across Britain.

As rail services resume across the UK, hundreds of thousands of passengers are facing delays and cancellations due to Storm Gerrit and other incidents.

The worst problem has seen the main line close between London St Pancras International and Luton due to a signalling fault – with all East Midlands Railway intercity trains likely to be cancelled for the rest of the day and Thameslink passengers urged not to attempt to travel until further notice.

The West Coast main line is currently blocked between Carlisle and Lockerbie due to flooding.

British Airways has grounded 18 flights to and from Heathrow. A large number of ferry services in UK waters have also been cancelled.

The Met Office has warned of strong winds, heavy snow and rain in Scotland, particularly in the east; heavy rain in much of northern England and most of Wales; and strong winds along the entire south coast of England.

Gusts of up to 60mph are forecast, with widespread impact for travellers.

Trains

The line between London St Pancras International and Luton is partially closed due to a signalling fault, causing major problems for passengers trying to travel between the capital and Luton airport on one of the busiest days of the festive season.

The Independent understands that the problem stems from engineering work at West Hampstead over the Christmas break.

Gary Walsh, route director for Network Rail, said: “I am very sorry that our engineering work is affecting passengers today. There is a fault with part of the signalling control system which means we need to reduce the number of trains which are able to run.

“Siemens signalling engineers are working to restore a reliable system as soon as possible.”

Thameslink, which runs between Bedford, Luton, central London, Surrey and Sussex, is telling passengers: “Please do not attempt travel between Bedford and London Bridge until further notice.

“The earlier disruption caused by multiple signal failures has now reoccurred.

“Due to the level of disruption, passengers are advised to delay travelling until later.

“If you do decide to travel, you will need to use alternative means on some or all of your journey, and you will need to allow an additional 60 minutes to travel.”

East Midlands Railway passengers were already facing disruption due to engineering work.

Elsewhere Storm Gerrit is combining with Network Rail projects to cause widespread disruption.

The West Coast main line is currently blocked between Carlisle and Lockerbie due to flooding. Avanti West Coast posted on X (formerly Twitter): “Due to flooding between Carlisle and Lockerbie, all lines are blocked. Delays are expected on our Scotland route and services will be subject to late starts.“

Trains between Edinburgh and Birmingham, and between Glasgow and Manchester airport, have been cancelled. Many other trains are delayed.

South Western Railway has been warning of major disruption on its network after a signalling fault outside London Waterloo plus an electrical fault at Havant in Hampshire led to cancelled rush-hour trains.

On the main line between London and Southampton, near Brookwood in Surrey, repair work on an earlier landslip is leading to “a severely reduced service between Basingstoke and Woking”.

The work will close two of the four lines between Wednesday and Friday. During this spell, the train firm is urging travellers: “Please only travel if absolutely necessary.”

In Scotland, Links from Glasgow to Aberdeen and Inverness are affected by engineering work, with buses running between Glasgow and Stirling.

Elsewhere in Scotland, speed restrictions are in place along many lines, including the far north line from Inverness to Wick, the West Highland line from Glasgow to Fort William and Oban and the West Coast main line from Glasgow to Carlisle.

All trains have been cancelled between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh due to flood damage in the Garve area sustained just before Christmas.

Disruption is expected to last for a week. Replacement buses are being arranged.

In Wales, the line between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog is closed, with replacement buses in place.

Across the border in England, flooding between Hereford and Leominster means trains may be cancelled or delayed.

Flights

Ten UK domestic flights plus eight European services have been cancelled by British Airways due to the effects of Storm Gerrit.

Return trips to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Jersey and Manchester have been axed, together with links to and from Barcelona, Berlin, Madrid and Paris CDG.

A spokesperson for British Airways said: “As a result of air-traffic control restrictions put in place because of Storm Gerrit, we have had to make some adjustments to our schedule today.

“We have apologised to our customers for any disruption to their travel plans and our teams are working hard to get them on their way as quickly as possible.”

Passengers are entitled to be rebooked on the closest available alternative service.

A planeload of P&O Cruises passengers finally arrived at Manchester airport 70 hours late after their charter flight from Barbados was diverted to Bermuda in the early hours of Christmas Eve.

The Maleth Aero Airbus A330 hit severe turbulence over the Atlantic, injuring 11 of the 225 passengers on board.

Ferries

At Dover, long queues have built up for the EU frontier operated by French border police. Under the post-Brexit deal, the UK asked for all British passports to be stamped upon entry to the European Union – which, at the Port of Dover, means a “juxtaposed” border between the white cliffs and the Channel.

Port authorities are warning of two-hour delays, saying: “The current wait time upon arrival at the Port is around 120 minutes. We are working hard to get you on your way as quickly as possible.”

Passengers who miss their booked sailing are being accommodated on the next available vessel without extra charge.

In Scotland, many Caledonian MacBrayne ferries are disrupted, with widespread delays and cancellations. No vessels will sail today from Mallaig to Skye or the Small Isles.