Storm Eunice: Rail passengers told not to travel

Rail passengers have been advised to change their travel plans for Friday as Storm Eunice hits the East Midlands.

East Midlands Railway warned there could be "significant disruption" to services due to the risk of strong winds and flying debris.

The Met Office has issued a red weather warning for some areas, although the region's warning remains at amber.

Elsewhere in the region, attractions and parks have announced closures and outdoor markets have been cancelled.

East Midlands Railway said it would be running a "skeleton service" on Friday and asked passengers to complete their journeys on Thursday, Saturday or Sunday if possible.

Matt Stacey, head of stations, said: "We are very concerned about the severity of the storm that's coming.

"Very, very high winds are forecast and we've not seen winds this strong in a number of years.

"Obviously that brings with it risk for overhead power lines falling down, trees falling on to the railway and any other household objects - trampolines regularly blow on to the railway - and obviously trains can hit them.

"So for the safety of our customers we'll be running trains much slower than we normally would, which means we will have far fewer services available for customers, and indeed we can't guarantee that those services will be able to run."

He said the most significant impact would be to the high-speed services from Derby, Nottingham and Sheffield to London.

Attractions such as Newstead Abbey and Wollaton Park in Nottinghamshire, Calke Abbey in Derbyshire and Rutland Water and Twycross Zoo in Leicestershire have announced they will be closed on Friday.

Nottingham Castle also said its play areas would be shut.

And a number of outdoor markets have been cancelled on Friday, including in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, Clifton and Bulwell markets in Nottingham and Hinckley market in Leicestershire.

Mansfield District Council said they had been called to remove several fallen trees and branches on Thursday and are expecting to be called to more on Friday.

"Be prepared and take extra care," they warned.

"Damage to buildings and homes is possible, with roofs blown off and power lines and trees brought down, bringing power cuts and potential disruption to mobile phone coverage."

Leicestershire County Council said emergency crews were "ready to deal with disruption" and to keep roads and footpaths clear and safe.

Councillor Ozzy O'Shea said: "We will constantly monitor the weather situation and resources will be available if needed.

"However, along with other agencies, we would also urge people to consider only making journeys if essential."

The Leicestershire & Rutland 4x4 Response team, which supports the council and police to respond to incidents in bad weather, said they were called to remove a fallen tree in Slash Lane, Loughborough, on Wednesday evening.

Media manager Nigel Spencer said they were also on standby for call-outs.

"We're not necessarily there for tree calls but are there to keep the community safe, so if the council can't respond then we will," he said.

"We have gone on standby for the next few days although we don't expect to get badly hit until lunchtime Friday and then it depends on what help is needed by the council and police."

National Highways also advised motorists to be careful of strong winds if travelling on the M1 between junctions 22 and 23 in Leicestershire.

In Derbyshire, the fire service asked people to consider when to call 999 and to take action to stay safe throughout the strong winds.

Group manager Dean Gazzard said: "With Storm Eunice due to hit the UK in the next 24 hours, everyone can take steps to stay safe and prevent emergencies from happening.

"I am sure people will also appreciate that during any storm the number of 999 calls we receive in our control room increases.

"While we are here to support all our communities when they need us, we must also consider the impact on our control room and resources when dealing with calls that aren't an emergency.

"This is a good opportunity for everyone to have a look at when they should ring 999 requesting the fire service and when something could be dealt with by another agency."

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