Rail workers battle effects of Storm Lilian to keep passengers on the move

Passengers across the North West are being urged to check before they travel throughout Friday 23 August while rail workers respond to the aftermath left by Storm Lilian.

Across the North West Network Rail response teams are working hard to remove fallen down trees and high levels of surface water following a night of heavy wind and rain.

Paul Owen, North West operations director at Network Rail: “Our priority is to keep passengers and freight trains safely on the move, but due to the effects of Storm Lilian, some services are delayed or diverted while our specialist responses teams clear any blockages or flooding away from the tracks.

“We would like to thank passengers for their patience. Our advice for passengers travelling to today is to check before you travel, as some journeys may take longer.”

Fallen down trees have caused obstacles to trains on the East Lancashire line between Blackburn and Burnley, on the West Coast main line between Stoke and Manchester, and in North Wales into the Wirral on the Merseyrail network. The Cumbrian Coast line has been flooded in some areas.  

While weather conditions have considerably improved, the effects of the Storm Lilian will continue to be felt across the day while rail workers carry out safety inspections of the track and remove obstacles across all parts of the North West network.