Passengers Warned to Avoid Travel Amid Storm
Rail operators have urged passengers to avoid travelling “unless absolutely necessary” as widespread service suspensions and line closures are being implemented ahead of Storm Goretti.
Heavy Snow and Strong Winds Expected
Forecasters warn of heavy snowfall and strong winds from Thursday night into Friday, prompting East Midlands Railway (EMR) and CrossCountry to cancel and reduce services across key regional routes.
One of the major disruptions includes the closure of the Hope Valley Line between Manchester and Sheffield, affecting Liverpool Lime Street–Norwich services. The route will remain closed from 18:00 GMT on Thursday until Saturday morning.
Multiple Lines Suspended from Thursday Evening
EMR confirmed that several branch lines will shut down from 18:00 to 20:00, including:
- Nottingham–Sheffield
- Crewe / Derby / Nottingham / Lincoln (Derby–Crewe section)
- Matlock / Derby / Nottingham / Lincoln / Cleethorpes (Derby–Matlock section)
- Nottingham / Mansfield / Worksop
Services on these routes are expected to resume Friday at 10:00, pending safety inspections by Network Rail.
CrossCountry services from Leicester and Peterborough were also suspended from 19:00 on Thursday, with reduced services on Nottingham–Birmingham / Cardiff and Leicester–Birmingham routes continuing into Friday.
Network Rail: “Safety Must Come First”
Network Rail’s operations director Dan Matthews apologised for the disruption but emphasised the need to prioritise safety:
“The safety and wellbeing of passengers and our own teams must come first.”
He added that in remote areas, road conditions may prevent staff from accessing signal boxes and responding to incidents promptly:
“We’ve taken the difficult decision to remove late evening and early morning services.”
Midland Main Line Remains in Operation
Despite the wider network shutdowns, a full timetable remains in place for the Midland Main Line between London St Pancras, Nottingham and Sheffield, due to central signalling and better road access for engineering teams.
Travel Warning Issued
An EMR spokesperson said:
“We strongly advise you to avoid travelling unless absolutely necessary.”
