All trains in and out of London Euston station have been cancelled as a result of adverse weather conditions brought by Storm Eunice.
Network Rail has advised people not to travel unless it is absolutely necessary, and Transport for London (TfL) has admitted that it ‘can’t say’ if the London Underground network might also be called off.
A statement from Network Rail reads: “Network Rail has stopped all trains in and out of London Euston due to Storm Eunice.
“All lines are suspended affecting services between Euston and Milton Keynes until further notice.
“The message to passengers is ‘DO NOT TRAVEL’ today as the railway network is being battered by gale force winds.
“Rapid response teams are clearing fallen trees and debris which are blocking lines in multiple locations on the West Coast main line.”
James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said: “Hundreds of engineers are out in horrendous conditions trying to maintain and protect the railway from the onslaught of this major storm.
“Because of Storm Eunice’s severity we’ve had no choice but to close some routes as it’s too unsafe to run trains.
“Due to the Met Office's red warning over Storm Eunice, customers are advised to only travel if essential and those who need to should check before they travel using our website and the TfL Go app.
“We are doing all we can to ensure we are prepared for any impact with extra staff ready to respond quickly to any incidents but some services will be affected by the extreme weather.
“We are also urging Londoners to please take care if they travel around the city.”
London is currently under a red warning from the Met Office, as with the rest of the South East of England, as well as the South West and South Wales.
Storm Eunice has already brought winds that have reached 122mph in the Isle of Wight, with extremely high-speed gusts expected across the country.
For millions of people under the red warning, the advice from the Met Office is to stay at home if at all possible due to a ‘significant danger to life’ and to only travel if absolutely necessary.
Coastal flooding is also expected, as well as disruption to travel and power.
Met Office Chief Meteorologist Paul Gundersen said: “After the impacts from Storm Dudley for many on Wednesday, Storm Eunice will bring damaging gusts in what could be one of the most impactful storms to affect southern and central parts of the UK for a few years.”
“The red warning areas indicate a significant danger to life as extremely strong winds provide the potential for damage to structures and flying debris. Although the most exposed coastal areas could see gusts in excess of 90mph, winds will remain notably strong further inland, with gusts of between 60-70mph for most within the amber warning area, and up to 80mph in a few places.”
