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Several days prior to Christmas, numerous individuals have experienced disruptions to their travel arrangements as numerous trains, ferries, and flights are being cancelled because of Storm Pia.
The Met Office forecasts strong winds reaching speeds of 80mph in certain regions, impacting all of Scotland and large portions of England until Thursday evening.
Rail lines in Scotland and northern England have been shut down due to concerns about objects potentially obstructing the tracks from strong winds. In other areas, speed limitations have been implemented.
British Airways has axed a minimum of 24 flights, while Loganair, Scotland’s airline, has also suspended several services. Numerous ferries are also remaining docked.
The main concerns that travelers are currently facing are:
Due to the storm named Pia, certain railway routes in Scotland have been shut down entirely. For the remaining open sections, a single operator is advising travelers not to embark on journeys between England and Scotland.
Passengers are advised by TransPennine Express to avoid traveling to or from Edinburgh before 3pm. There will be no trains operating between Edinburgh and north west England until Thursday afternoon.
Network Rail Scotland has informed passengers that train services on certain routes will be suspended on Thursday in order to conduct safe inspections of tracks for fallen trees and debris.
The listed lines include the West Highland Line (which also has lines to Oban and Mallaig), Kyle of Lochalsh Line, Far North Line, and Inverness-Inverurie.
There will also be speed limits on the Highland Mainline, and on certain central belt, south-west Scotland, and cross-border routes.
Our maintenance teams in the area are highly equipped and have extra crew members available to remove fallen trees. There is also additional staff on standby throughout the country.
LNER is curtailing trains that would normally serve northern Scotland and says: “Some LNER services between Edinburgh and London Kings Cross will terminate or start at Newcastle.”
The train company has removed limitations for tickets dated December 21st. The tickets can now be used on LNER trains on both December 21st and 22nd.
Northern has announced that there will be speed restrictions on multiple train lines, resulting in an additional 45 minutes to travel times.
There are significant delays on certain trains running on the West Coast main line, which links London Euston to the West Midlands, northwest England, North Wales, and southern Scotland, due to strong winds.
Furthermore, a train operated by Avanti West Coast traveling from Manchester to London has been cancelled due to an issue at the train depot.
The transit company, Network Rail, has announced that the train route between Crewe and Stoke-on-Trent is temporarily closed due to a bag becoming entangled in the overhead wires. In a statement, the company stated, “Buses will be available as alternative transportation, but we anticipate there will still be delays and cancellations until noon. Please plan accordingly.”
British Airways has canceled 24 domestic and European flights to and from London Heathrow, which also includes several connections to and from Amsterdam.
Routes to Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Glasgow are also experiencing cancellations.
A representative from British Airways stated that due to the expected strong winds from Storm Pia, they have made changes to their flight schedule. They have tried to inform their customers in advance and have apologized for any inconvenience caused. The team is currently making efforts to get the affected journeys back on schedule as soon as possible.
In Scotland, certain flights operated by Loganair have been cancelled or delayed. The airline is providing customers with the option to modify their travel arrangements free of charge. You may opt to book a different flight within seven days of your original travel date.
On Thursday, Caledonian MacBrayne cancelled certain ferry connections for the Western Isles. This will impact travelers who had planned to journey to or from Barra, Harris, North Uist, and South Uist.
The ferry service connecting the islands of Orkney and Shetland is experiencing disruptions.
P&O Ferries has suspended all daytime trips connecting Cairnryan, Scotland to Larne, Northern Ireland.
In the southeastern region of England, the issue is not caused by weather conditions. Instead, there is a buildup of queues at the Port of Dover as drivers wait to be cleared by French border controls.
Source: independent.co.uk
