Passengers in North West advised of flooding across rail network

Network Rail teams have been working hard to reduce the effects of the weather on Wednesday night and Thursday morning (16-17 October).

Flooding has been reported between Preston and Lancaster, Chester and Crewe, Crewe and Liverpool, and in Warrington.

Passengers are advised to check their journey before they travel and to allow more time on affected routes. 

Currently, trains are unable to run between Chester and Crewe as water levels are above the track. 

Phil James, Network Rail’s North West route director, said:

“I’m sorry to passengers whose journeys are delayed today as a result of heavy rainfall across the North West. Our teams are working hard to drain the water away and resolve any damage to our signalling systems or railway equipment.

“I’d advise passengers check before they travel today as the railway recovers from the weather.”

Other parts of the network experienced flooding overnight, however, the railway’s drainage systems were able to handle the water and services have reopened in the early hours.

Passengers are being advised of further expected heavy rainfall this Friday (18 October), particularly in Cumbria. Engineers are preparing to respond to potential flooding.

Network Rail is advising passengers in the North West to check their journeys before travelling from the afternoon of Friday 18th October. 

Heavy rain can overwhelm the drainage systems on the railway and make flooding more likely.

When the railway floods, points and signalling equipment can be damaged. These systems rely on intricate wiring and power supplies, and sometimes need replacing before services can run again.

Sometimes flood water doesn’t stop trains running, but if water levels rise above the rails, trains have to reduce their speed to prevent damage to the train, which in turn can cause delays.