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Rail chief defends line closures for Christmas engineering works Storm Barbara set to disrupt Christmas travel across Britain Storm Barbara set to disrupt Christmas travel across Britain
(35 minutes later)
Network Rail has defended its decision to bring parts of Britain’s train lines to a standstill for major engineering works over the festive period. Millions of travellers face a festive getaway headache as Storm Barbara is set to batter parts of the UK with winds of 90mph – on what is expected to be the busiest day of Christmas travel.
A number of lines will be closed for an extended period as Network Rail carries out up to 200 improvement projects costing £103m. The Met Office issued severe weather warnings for many parts of Britain on Friday, with Scotland expected to bear the brunt of the storm.
Work on some schemes will begin on Saturday to give engineers and maintenance teams four days to carry out upgrades before the next working day. Forecasters are warning that strong wings, wintry showers and lightning could disrupt power supplies and travel across the north-west of the UK. An amber “be prepared” wind warning is in place for northern and western parts of Scotland for Friday afternoon, evening and overnight into Christmas Eve.
This will hit rail passengers with added disruption, as the annual shutdown means no trains on Christmas Day and only certain services on Boxing Day. Two separate amber wind warnings are in place. In the north of the UK, gusts of 60-70mph are expected, while in the south a narrow but intense band of heavy rain and gusty winds could lead to disruption.
The Network Rail chief executive, Mark Carne, defended the move, saying it was preferable for the work to be carried out over Christmas due to lower passenger numbers. Flood alerts are also in place for the Highlands and Western Isles, as well as Skye and the Scottish Borders.
“We’re making every effort that we can with our train operating colleagues to run the services in the best way that we can,” he told BBC Breakfast. Brent Walker, Met Office deputy chief meteorologist, said: “Storm Barbara is crossing the Atlantic and will pass close to the north-west of the UK during Friday, bringing the potential for some disruption to power supplies and travel, and possibly structural damage.”
“The reality is this is the best time of the year for us to do this sort of huge engineering project because the numbers of people travelling by train is about half of what it is on a normal weekend or a normal day. This is the time of year when we can do this sort of work with the minimum effect on the travelling public.” The Local Government Association (LGA), which represents hundreds of councils in England and Wales, said it was issuing renewed advice on how to deal with flash floods and had stockpiled more than a million tonnes of salt to grit roads.
No trains will operate to or from London Paddington between Saturday and Thursday because of work to build Crossrail. Rail disruption is expected to cause more trouble for holidaymakers , with a number of lines closed for an extended period as Network Rail carries out up to 200 improvement projects costing £103m.
That means the Heathrow Express service between Heathrow airport and Paddington will be suspended for six days and Great Western Railway trains will terminate at Ealing Broadway. The company defended the decision, with Network Rail’s chief executive, Mark Carne, telling BBC Breakfast: “The reality is this is the best time of the year for us to do this sort of huge engineering project because the numbers of people travelling by train is about half of what it is on a normal weekend or a normal day.”
Passengers travelling in Manchester and Cardiff will also be among the worst affected by engineering work. No trains will operate to or from London Paddington between Saturday and Thursday because of work to build Crossrail. As a result, Heathrow Express services will be suspended for six days and Great Western Railway trains will terminate at Ealing Broadway.
Meanwhile, Southern has warned passengers to expect a severely reduced and disrupted service between 31 December and 2 January due to a strike by RMT conductors. ScotRail said that due to the severe weather conditions forecast, speed restrictions and a small number of service withdrawals will take place as a precaution on Friday.
Carne condemned the recent wave of industrial action, saying he “shared the frustration” of the travelling public at the “hugely damaging” disruption that had “blighted” the lives of some passengers. Troubled Southern rail has warned passengers to expect a severely reduced and disrupted service between 31 December and 2 January due to a strike by conductors.
Friday is expected to be the busiest day for traffic over the festive period as millions of people embark on the Christmas getaway. Passengers travelling in Manchester and Cardiff will also be affected by engineering work.
The AA predicts about 12m cars will be on the roads due to a combination of people visiting loved ones, shopping trips and holidays, as well as those travelling to and from work. The annual festive shutdown means no trains will run on Christmas Day, with only limited services on Boxing Day.
It commissioned a poll of more than 19,000 motorists which found that 41% expected to drive more than 20 miles on Friday. That could push more travellers on to the roads. The AA predicts about 12m cars will be on the roads on Friday. More than 41% of 19,000 motorists surveyed by the AA said they expected to drive more than 20 miles.
The AA patrol of the year, John Snowling, said: “On Friday, it’s likely to be very busy at peak times on the major routes as the Christmas getaway coincides with commuter traffic.The AA patrol of the year, John Snowling, said: “On Friday, it’s likely to be very busy at peak times on the major routes as the Christmas getaway coincides with commuter traffic.
“With Christmas falling on a weekend, many people will start their break from Friday, but almost a third of our members will be making their journey on Saturday and more than a fifth will be travelling on Christmas Day to visit friends and family.”“With Christmas falling on a weekend, many people will start their break from Friday, but almost a third of our members will be making their journey on Saturday and more than a fifth will be travelling on Christmas Day to visit friends and family.”
Some 448 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major roads have been suspended or completed in a bid to reduce disruption. On the roads, Highways England said 448 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major roads had been suspended or completed, leaving 98% of roads free of works until 3 January.
Highways England said this would leave 98% of its network free of roadworks until 3 January. Roadside rescue firm Green Flag estimated almost 500,000 people will break down between 15 December and 15 January – equivalent to one every 11 minutes.
Amid the alterations to rail services, coach operator National Express reported last month that its bookings for Christmas Day were up by more than a third compared with the same point last year while demand for seats on Boxing Day had risen by 19%. National Express reported last month that its bookings for Christmas Day were up by more than a third compared with last year while demand for seats on Boxing Day has risen by almost a fifth.
The firm will have 50% more coaches on the roads on 25 December this year than in 2015. The coach operator is running its biggest Christmas service, with 50% more coaches on the roads on 25 December than last year.
The travel association Abta said Friday is expected to be the busiest day for airports as people jet off to spend Christmas overseas. Travel association Abta said Friday was expected to be the busiest day for airports as people jet off to spend Christmas overseas.
More than 4.5 million people will head abroad from the UK between 18 December and 2 January.More than 4.5 million people will head abroad from the UK between 18 December and 2 January.
Heathrow said the most popular day for flights in the week leading up to Christmas would be Friday, with more than 118,000 departing passengers.Heathrow said the most popular day for flights in the week leading up to Christmas would be Friday, with more than 118,000 departing passengers.