Rail firm issues ‘do not travel’ message to passengers in Chesterfield ahead of Storm Eunice

The Met Office has issued an amber ‘danger to life’ alert between 5am and 9pm on Friday, February 18, covering Chesterfield as well as much of the country – with a rare red warning in place for parts of Wales.

Damage to buildings is likely, with roofs blown off and power lines brought down as Storm Eunice wreaks havoc.

Roads and bridges are also likely to close, while there is a possibility that there will be many falling branches and some uprooted trees too.

East Midlands Railway (EMR) says these conditions will cause significant disruption across the railway network and trains will be required to travel much slower.

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

Customers for whom it is vital that they travel tomorrow should check EMR’s website before setting off.

EMR says it will do everything it can to offer alternative routes during times of unplanned disruption – however other rail routes are likely to be also affected and road conditions may restrict its ability to respond to incidents with Rail Replacement buses and other road transport.

Customers with tickets for Friday are being urged to travel on Thursday, February 17, or Saturday, February 19, instead.

Those who are not travelling can claim a refund.

Matt Stacey, Head of Stations at East Midlands Railway, said: “As the storm strength and potential impact becomes clearer, we are now strongly advising customers to not travel at all tomorrow.

"We also urge customers to try and complete their journeys today - if possible.

"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.

"If customers absolutely need to travel we suggest they check our website for the latest information before setting off. They should also leave themselves plenty of extra time to reach their destination."

More information about how services are affected by Storm Eunice can be found on EMR’s website or by following the company's Twitter account.

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