east midlands trains travel disruption

Weather latest: New snow and ice alerts issued; travel disruption on roads and trains; schools closed

Millions of people are under yellow weather warnings as snow, ice and freezing temperatures hit the UK. The Met Office has warned of another cold night ahead.

Tuesday 19 November 2024 21:04, UK

• Swathes of UK under yellow weather warnings for snow and ice
• Snow sparks travel disruption as commuters face delays and cancellations
• Millions also under amber health alerts - with warning to check on 'vulnerable'
• Up to 20cm of snow forecast to hit some areas
• Send us your pictures - WhatsApp details below
• Check the forecast in your area
• Live reporting by Bhvishya Patel

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Swathes of the UK are experiencing freezing conditions this evening.

We'll be pausing our coverage for now but here is what you need to know this evening:

Six weather warnings in place

There are six snow and ice yellow weather warnings covering England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland in place:

• Western Scotland - the snow and ice warning came into force from 7pm today and remains in place until 10am tomorrow;
• London, Midlands and the south - this ice warning will remain in place until 10am tomorrow;
• Northern Scotland - this is a snow and ice warning and will remain in place until 10am tomorrow;
• Northern Ireland -  a snow and ice warning is in place until 10am tomorrow;
• East coast of England - a yellow weather warning for snow and ice is in place until 12pm tomorrow;
• Wales - a snow and ice warning will be in force until 11.59pm today.

Amber cold weather health alert

The UK Health Security Agency issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season, warning conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.

The amber warning covers the east and north of England, the Midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber.

More than 200 schools closed

More than 200 schools have been closed because of the weather.

Around 140 have closed in Wales, around 50 in the West Midlands and 20 in Derbyshire.

Travel disruption

Thousands of train passengers suffered disruption due to the weather on this morning.

By 11am on Tuesday, some 64 out of a total of 120 services planned by East Midlands Railway were cancelled or delayed by at least half an hour.

National Rail this evening reported more disruptions on trains in Lincolnshire, Peterborough, Scotland, North Yorkshire and the Midlands.

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Temperatures have dropped to around -6C in the Scottish Highlands and it's set to remain below freezing as the night goes on.

Monday night saw sub-zero temperatures for much of the UK, and temperatures dropped to -7.8C in Tulloch Bridge in the Scottish Highlands.

Met Office spokesman Stephen Dixon said temperatures could drop to -12C in rural parts of Scotland and -7C in rural parts of Wales on Wednesday night.

You can see the weather forecast for your area using the Sky News tool below:

As the freezing weather sets in, the Alzheimer's Society has urged people to look out for loved ones living with dementia.

It has issued the following tips: 

• Make sure the person is dressed appropriately - layers are key;
• Keep the room warm;
• Encourage regular movement;
• Make the most of natural daylight as decreased sunlight can cause someone with dementia to feel increased anxiety, confusion, and even depression;
• Keep to your routine as a big change in routine can cause someone with dementia to become confused or agitated;
• Be careful in icy weather. Perception issues can make it difficult for someone with dementia to see icy patches;
• Make sure they're eating and drinking regularly.

A new yellow weather for snow and ice has been issued by the Met Office in parts of western Scotland.

It will come into force from 7pm today and remains in place until 10am tomorrow.

The warning covers Dumfries and Galloway, parts of Strathclyde and the Highlands.

Drivers have been urged to prepare before they set off after research showed most don't pack the essentials needed for winter journeys.

The survey of 2,000 adults in England commissioned by National Highways showed only 34% travel with a supply of water, just 10% have emergency food and only 21% have a fully charged mobile phone.

Data also showed the number of winter breakdowns on motorways and major A roads in England had risen by 22% in four years, with National Highways recording 68,893 breakdowns on its network between November 2023 and January 2024.

There were 56,517 during the same period from 2019-2020.

Duncan Smith, executive director of operations at National Highways, said "preparation was key to staying safe during winter journeys".

"Packing the right essentials and driving cautiously in poor weather can make all the difference," he said.

The government-owned company uses the acronym Trip to remind drivers to: 

• Top up fuel, water and oil
• Rest every two hours
• Inspect tyres and lights; and 
• Prepare by planning for severe weather. 

Travel has been disrupted as a result of the freezing temperatures hitting the UK.

Here's where we are seeing disruptions:

On the trains...

• Disruption between Grantham in Lincolnshire and Peterborough are expected until the end of the day;
• Disruption between Perth and Inverness in Scotland expected until 6pm;
• Lines have reopened between Birmingham Snow Hill and Rowley Regis but disruption is expected until 6pm;
• There are reduced service at South Bank station in North Yorkshire which will last until further notice;
• Poor weather is also affecting various routes across the South Western Railway network today.

On the roads...

A number of motorways in northern England are expected to be met with disruptions, including the M1, M6, M56 and M62.

An ice warning has just come into place - bringing the total number of yellow weather warnings in force across the country to five.

The warning for ice covers London, parts of the Midlands, southern England and the southwest region, including Bath. It will remain in place until 10am tomorrow.

Where are the other weather warnings?

There is a snow and ice warning for northern Scotland that has been in place since 4pm yesterday and will remain in place until 10am tomorrow.

In Northern Ireland, a snow and ice warning is in place from 6pm today until 10am tomorrow.

Along the east coast of England, another yellow weather warning is in place from 6pm today until 12pm tomorrow.

A snow and ice warning has been in place in parts of Wales from 11.42am today and will be in force until 11.59pm today.

Over at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, animals have been adjusting to the blanket of snow they woke up to this morning.

The park is located in Doncaster and is home to more than 70 rare and endangered species.

Our readers have been sending pictures of the snowy weather where they are.

The next few days will be cold, with overnight frosts and daytime temperatures struggling to rise much above freezing.

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More than 200 schools close and trains cancelled as snow causes disruption across parts of UK

• Tuesday 19 November 2024 at 7:06pm

Snowfall has caused hundreds of schools across the country to close and disrupted travel, as ITV News' North of England Reporter Kelly Foran reports

More than 200 schools in England and Wales have closed on Tuesday as snow and ice caused disruptions across the country.

By Tuesday afternoon around 140 schools had closed in Wales, with around 50 in the West Midlands and 20 in Derbyshire.

The weather conditions also led to train cancellations and road delays, while motorists have been urged to take extra care.

The Met Office put three yellow warnings for snow and ice in place in the North, the Midlands, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – advising that vehicles could be stranded, power cuts may occur and rural areas could be cut off.

The yellow warnings for England and Scotland were in place for Tuesday morning.

Snowfall was widely reported, with 12 cm of lying snow recorded at Watnall, Nottinghamshire on Tuesday morning as an Arctic airmass influenced the UK’s weather.

Monday night saw sub-zero temperatures for much of the UK, reaching as low as -11.2C at Braemar in Aberdeenshire.

Thousands of train passengers have been affected so far by the weather.

By 11 am, 64 of out of the 120 services planned by East Midlands Railway were cancelled or delayed by at least half an hours, while London North Eastern Railway had 37% similarly affected.

Transport for Wales, West Midlands Trains and CrossCountry have also seen more than 10% of their services impacted by the weather.

Travellers are advised to check their local rail app or social media and plan their journeys ahead.

National Highways sent out a severe amber weather alert for snow, with the M1 in Leeds and Sheffield, the M56 in Manchester, junction 39 of the M6 and junctions 21-23 of the M62 likely to see disruption.

What is the forecast?

A yellow snow and ice warning was in place for early Tuesday covering Northern Ireland.

Another yellow alert is in place until 10am on Wednesday, covering areas in Scotland, while a third was in place for Tuesday morning, covering areas in the East Midlands, Yorkshire and the north of England.

Within affected areas, there is a chance of power cuts, disruption to road and public transport and the risk of injury from slipping on ice.

It comes as the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) issued the first amber cold weather health alert of the season this week.

The amber warning covers the east and north of England, midlands, and Yorkshire and the Humber, with yellow alerts coming into place for the South East, South West and London at 8am on Tuesday, lasting until 6pm on Saturday.

Dr Agostinho Sousa, from the UKHSA, said this is the first amber Cold Weather Health Alert of the season.

"We can expect more as we approach winter, and it is vital to check in on vulnerable friends, family and neighbours to ensure they are well prepared for the onset of cold weather. Particularly if they are elderly or otherwise at increased risk.”

While the weather has caused disruption for many, others - and their pets - have been enjoying the frosty conditions

Charity Age UK warned that the conditions could be dangerous for vulnerable people, including the elderly.

Ms Abrahams said it is “vital” that older people stay “fit, warm and well if they can” by having hot food and drinks throughout the day, wrapping up warm and sleeping with the windows closed.

The Alzheimer’s Society meanwhile warned cold weather can be “particularly challenging” for people with dementia.

“Colder temperatures can be difficult for a person with dementia to adjust to, and they may not always be able to communicate that they are cold – or they may not even recognise it themselves,” the charity said.

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Rail strikes: Customers warned of widespread significant disruption

• EMR unable to run any services on Saturday, December 2 due to industrial action by the ASLEF union
• Intercity services on December 3 will be extremely busy due to strikes and engineering works on other routes  
• Strikes are part of a programme of industrial action affecting 16 train companies between December 1-9

East Midlands Railway (EMR) will not be able to run any services on Saturday, December 2, due to industrial action by the train drivers' union ASLEF.  

The strike action is part of a programme of industrial action affecting 16 train companies between December 1 -9. This is a new staggered approach by the union and has been designed to create a unique series of negative impacts which aims to create wide-ranging disruption and cancellations across the network - affecting different train operators on different days. 

As a result, EMR services will be extremely busy throughout the industrial action and customers may not be able to board their preferred service. Customers are advised to check EMR's website and understand how their full journey is impacted before travelling  - especially due to strike action impacting different train operators on different days.

Strike action's impact on services

December 1 

• Services will likely be extremely busy due to no EMR services on Saturday, 2 December.

December 2 

• Do not attempt to travel. No EMR services will run.

December 3 

EMR Services will be extremely busy due to engineering works on the East Coast Mainline and strike action taking place affecting other train operators serving the capital. This will mean a significant increase in customers using EMR Intercity services - especially at London St Pancras. To manage this, a number of EMR Regional services have been cancelled to free up resources.

• No services will call at Bedford and Luton Connect
• Planned to run normal Sunday timetable
• Southbound Connect services start at 10:00 (From Corby to Kettering only)
• First southbound service from Corby to London St Pancras - 11:41
• First northbound service from London St Pancras to Corby - 12:14 Regional
• No services will run between Derby and Crewe
• No services will run between Sleaford and Skegness
• No services will run between Nottingham and Liverpool Lime Street

December 4 - 9 

Action short of strike by ASLEF union members. Customers are advised to check our website for the latest information here:  https://www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk/rail-strike

Will Rogers, Managing Director of East Midlands Railway, said: "This industrial action is a new approach from the ASLEF union. It's staggered designed means different parts of the network and different train operating companies are affected at different times. Unfortunately, this will mean customers could be impacted by a complicated period of possible delays and disruption.

"We cannot run any services on Saturday, December 2 - while services will be extremely busy on Sunday, December 3.

"The safety of customers is our number one priority and so passengers should expect crowd control measures in some stations. Customers are strongly advised to check our website to understand how their whole journey is affected before setting off and can expect possible disruption or late notice cancellations." 

Contact Information

James coxon.

Media Relations Manager

East Midlands Railway

07919 217917

[email protected]