WINDS of more than 160km/h sweeping across Scotland and the east of England have caused train services to be cancelled or reduced over a wide area.

All ScotRail trains were cancelled on Thursday morning, and passengers were also warned not to try to travel on intercity services north of Carlisle or Newcastle. National Rail Enquiries emphasised that alternative road transport was not available in the affected areas.

East Coast and Virgin introduced emergency timetables, while other operators issuing warnings of disruption included First TransPennine Express, CrossCountry and Grand Central. Many Northern routes were also affected.

Network Rail had emergency teams on standby overnight, ready to remove trees and repair any damaged equipment. The company also monitored its system of over 200 weather alarms around the network to help track the passage of the storm.

David Dickson, Network Rail area director for the west of Scotland, said: “Safety is our number one priority during such severe weather. We will be monitoring conditions on the ground closely throughout the night and into the morning. We have teams in place across the country to react quickly to any damage caused by the weather and will keep as much of the network open as is possible.

“However, the extreme nature of the conditions, and the potential impact they can have on our infrastructure, means that speed restrictions and other measures are necessary in the interests of safety.

“We are working closely with the train operators and other industry partners to do everything we can to reduce disruption, while also operating a safe network.”

It is hoped that services can be restored gradually during the afternoon.