Storm Bert travel chaos hits trains, flights and ferries: Full breakdown
Rail disruption continues with Great Western lines closed due to flooding and landslips, and Northampton station completely off limits
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Hundreds of thousands of travellers were unable to complete their journeys around the UK at the weekend due to severe disruption caused by Storm Bert.
Key rail links were closed and around 400 flights serving UK airports were either cancelled or diverted on Sunday.
The damage caused by the low-pressure system is continuing to cause major problems on the transport network, with rail passengers particularly hard hit.
These are the leading areas of disruption:
Rail
The Great Western Railway linking South Wales and the West of England with London Paddington is severely disrupted, with the train operator urging passengers not to travel on all the key intercity routes.
GWR says train services linking London Paddington with Bristol (Temple Meads and Parkway), Cardiff, Swansea, Cheltenham, and Penzance via Exeter St Davids and Plymouth are currently cancelled due to flooding and landslips. Rail replacement buses are unlikely to be running.
Tickets for Monday will be accepted by GWR on Tuesday, including on peak services.
South of London, Southern has cancelled a large number of trains because of expected severe weather during the morning.
On the West Coast main line, Northampton station is completely closed and London Northwestern Railway warns of severe disruption – one of its key depots is blocked. The train firm warns: “There is no access to Northampton station. Roads around the station are blocked.”
Transport for Wales is warning that the line between Hereford and Abergavenny is closed due to a landslip until this afternoon. "Rail replacement transport is unable to run due to local roads being closed,” the organisation says. Valley lines north of Cardiff are also heavily disrupted.
In Lancashire and Cumbria, the line from Lancaster to Barrow in Furness will remain closed until Friday at the earliest due to flooding in the Ulverston area.
Airline passengers trying to travel by train between London and Stansted airport are being warned no services will run before 2pm on Monday at the earliest. National Rail says: “Owing to multiple fallen trees damaging electrical overhead wires between Broxbourne and Audley End, train services between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport are subject to severe delays, alterations and cancellations.”
In Scotland, the main line between Perth and Inverness is blocked because of an oil spill. In addition there are speed restrictions on a large number of lines including Glasgow to Carlisle and to Oban and Mallaig.
Ferry
Anyone who makes it to Oban or Mallaig – key Caledonian MacBrayne ferry ports – will find the onward voyage disrupted. All sailings between Oban and Barra are cancelled for a third day, as are links to South Harris. From Mallaig, the ferry to the Small Isle and Armadale in southern Skye are cancelled.
On other CalMac routes individual cancellations and rescheduling are likely.
On the Irish Sea and English Channel, services are now returning to normal.
Air
Tens of thousands of airline passengers are out of position after hundreds of flights were cancelled and diverted on Sunday.
According to aviation analytics firm Cirium, at least 388 UK flights were cancelled on Sunday. In addition, London Gatwick and Heathrow both saw large numbers of “go-arounds” (when pilots decide to abort their landing) and subsequent diversions.
London Heathrow was hardest hit, with at least 234 cancellations – most of them on British Airways, which has over half the slots at the UK’s biggest airport.
London City airport was effectively closed to many arrivals during the afternoon and evening.
A spokesperson for BA said: “To comply with air traffic restrictions imposed on us due to adverse winter weather conditions caused by Storm Bert, we have had to reduce our schedule at London Heathrow and London City Airport.
“We’re sorry that some of our customers’ journeys have been disrupted as a result of these restrictions and we’re offering them rebooking or refund options.”
Almost all flights are operating as normal; some overnight long-haul arrivals are late because the outbound flights were delayed, and odd short-haul departures such as SAS to Stockholm are cancelled because the aircraft could not get in on Sunday night.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments