Storm Eunice: Bedford rail passengers asked to avoid travelling on Friday

Travellers are being asked to consider swapping their Friday journeys to Thurday or Saturday to avoid possible disruption from Storm Eunice.

East Midlands Railway says it is expecting significant disruption across the network due to strong winds and rain on Friday - with trains required to travel much slower.

There will also be fewer trains on some routes and journey times will be significantly increased - with some journeys taking up to twice as long to complete.

And customers can use their tickets for Friday, February 18 on EMR services for Thursday, February 18 or Saturday, February 19.

Those who would prefer not to travel - even on Thursday or Saturday - can claim a refund.

And those who have to travel on Friday are being advised to check EMR’s website before setting off.

The company is also warning that other rail routes may be affected - and road conditions may restrict its ability to respond to incidents with rail replacement buses and other road transport.

Matt Stacey, Head of Stations at East Midlands Railway, said: “We strongly advise customers who need to make a journey with us in the next few days to choose Thursday or Saturday.

"The strength of Storm Eunice will mean that on Friday there is likely to be widespread disruption to services across the country’s rail network.

"However, we understand that not everyone can rearrange their travel plans and customers may still need to travel by rail. If this is the case, we suggest customers leave themselves plenty of extra time to reach their destination.”

Gary Walsh, East Midlands Route Director for Network Rail, said: “Running a railway through extreme weather is always a challenge. We have extra workers out on the network at key locations, ready to react quickly to Storm Eunice and keep passengers moving wherever it’s safe to do so. As the weather worsens, some journeys may take longer, so I’d advise passengers to check before travelling and allow plenty of time.”