Storm Austen is set to bring heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph to Scotland on Friday, prompting speed restrictions on trains and a yellow weather warning for the weekend.
Storm Austen and Storm Beolo to hit Scotland
Storm Austen will strike on Friday, with Scotland forecast heavy downpours, followed by Storm Beolo on Saturday. Beolo is set to affect Northern Ireland, Scotland and parts of northern England with what the Met Office described as “impactful winds”.
The whole of mainland Scotland, the Western Isles, Orkney and the far north of England have been issued a yellow weather warning from 6pm on Saturday to 9pm on Sunday.
Speed restrictions on key rail routes
Network Rail Scotland have already introduced speed restrictions to trains to 'keep people safe' due to the heavy rain expected on Friday. The trains will be slowed down in the areas expected to see the heaviest rain.
Speed restrictions will be in place on parts of the West Coast Main Line and East Coast Main Line, as well as routes across southern and eastern Scotland. It said some journeys would take longer as a result, but that the restrictions meant trains could continue running through areas where the weather is at its worst.
Advice for passengers
Craig Gorman, head of operational weather strategy at Network Rail Scotland, said: "We can't control the weather, but we can make sure we're as ready as possible for whatever it brings."
"We know any disruption from these storms will be frustrating, particularly as it's the weekend, but we'll do everything we can to keep people moving wherever it's safe to do so."
Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: "Safety is always our top priority and with weather warnings in place as Storm Austen and Storm Boelo bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of Scotland this weekend, there is an increased risk of flooding and disruption on the railway."
He advised customers to check services before they travel. These restrictions are being introduced to allow trains to operate safely during the forecast weather conditions.
Services affected include services travelling to and from Aberdeen, Glasgow Central – Edinburgh Waverley, and Glasgow Central – Carlisle. Some services may be cancelled, make additional stops or take longer than usual.
