Rail passengers are being advised to check before they travel following a yellow warning for snow and ice from the Met Office in the North West of England.
Travel disruption was possible from yesterday evening (Monday 18 November) and overnight into today, Tuesday, however the challenging conditions including snow, ice and freezing rain will last all week.
This could impact rail travel on some rural routes in the Peak District, across the Pennines between Manchester and Leeds and in Cumbria. If required, hundreds of staff equipped with specialist kit will defrost frozen points and signals to keep the railway running safely.
Passengers are being urged to check www.nationalrail.co.uk to see if their train is running before they set off from home. Chris Pye, Network Rail’s North West route infrastructure director said: “Snow and ice always pose a challenge at this time of the year, not only to the track, it can also obscure signals and causes branches to fall from trees on to the line.
“We work hard to ensure that points, which we use to direct trains on the track, don’t become compacted with snow and ice. We have teams who can monitor these remotely and further teams on standby ready to respond to heavy snow, should it be needed.”
The Merseyrail Network’s third rail is receiving specialist anti-ice treatment to reduce issues the cold weather could cause to powering the fleet of trains. People are advised to check their train is running on time by visiting National Rail or the train company’s website.
In very cold weather, snow and ice can build up on the tracks blocking points, the equipment that allows trains to move between tracks. Ice can coat the electrified third rail and overhead power cables, preventing trains from drawing the power they need to run and leaving them stranded.
Icicles on tunnels, bridges and other structures can also damage trains and overhead power cables. In the Manchester area, they have mainly heated points and switches and teams will be monitoring these to ensure they stay clear of snow and ice.
In the more remote areas, some have to be treated with anti freeze manually and we have teams on standby ready to manually clear them of snow should it be needed. In Liverpool, on the Merseyrail network we have teams who will be ensuring anti freeze is applied to the third rail to ensure it remains free of ice.
They also have additional checks being carried out and extra people ready to respond if needed. For latest travel advice visit National Rail Enquiries.
