The public has been warned not to travel by train on Friday as stormy weather is set to disrupt railways.
Storm Eunice is set to hit the UK on Friday, with the South East and Wales expected to take the worst of the weather.
The Rail Delivery Group has said that Storm Eunice could cause trees to be blown onto lines, which could cause delays and cancellations.
Jake Kelly, group director at Network Rail, said: “We will be doing everything we can to keep as many services as possible running safely and reliably on Friday, but with such strong winds expected we know that disruption to passengers’ journeys is inevitable.
“Please consider whether your journey is necessary on Friday, and if possible re-plan your journey for another day.”
Network Rail added that there will be blanket speed restrictions of 50mph in most places as winds are expected to reach 90mph in some areas.
A red weather warning has been issued by the Met Office, which has said flying debris could result in danger to life.
An amber weather warning is also in place covering the rest of Wales and much of England as far north as Manchester and Hull, while a yellow warning covers Northern Ireland and much of Scotland.
TransPennine Express is one rail firm that has urged people not to travel by train on Friday.
Paul Watson, operations director at TransPennine, said: “Storm Eunice will be the second storm to impact our services this week and it is likely to cause major disruption to train services, right across the North of England and into Scotland.
“The most important thing is that our customers and staff are kept safe, and we are urging customers not to travel by train on Friday, February 18. We are instead asking customers to make their journeys on either Thursday, February 17 or Saturday, February 19.”
Avanti West Coast will run an amended timetable on Friday containing longer journey times due to the speed restrictions.
Jacqueline Starr, chief executive at the Rail Delivery Group, said that while rail companies are “working hard to keep people moving safely”, journeys will be disrupted.
She added: “We’re asking people to plan their travel for a different day if possible or to check and re-check before they travel.”
