After an overhead tree fell, hundreds of passengers were forced to sleep on Euston station’s floor last night.
Services were stopped on Sunday, and engineers worked overnight to repair damage caused by storms. Hundreds of delegates were left without transportation options after cancellations at least tens of thousands of trains.
Network Rail said last night that the extreme weather had ‘got to us’. They told passengers at London Euston who were stranded, to quit and go home.
The damaged lines are now repaired and trains are moving in and out of the station. However there are still delays.
A spokesperson said that all repairs were completed overnight and that the infrastructure was ready to go. Although services have been resumed from Euston this morning however, there will still be disruption. Passengers are advised to check the operator websites for further information.
Last night, the railway company admitted that it was ‘truly sorry” for the disruption in Rugby, which occurred at the worst possible moment for people trying to reach the COP26 summit venue today.
Services were halted on Sunday as engineers worked overnight to repair damage caused by storms. During delays, some passengers were forced to stay in the station.
The departure boards revealed that trains were experiencing major delays and passengers were left in dismay.
Passengers sat down on the floor as the time passed without any trains leaving London’s Euston station.
According to the Avanti West Coast website, yesterday’s tickets will still be valid for travel Monday.
Network Rail yesterday admitted that the ‘extreme weather’ had ‘got to us’ and told passengers at London Euston, the worst hit station, to give in, go home, and pray for a better tomorrow.
Although the damaged lines have been repaired, trains are still running in and out at the station. However, there are still delays. Pictured are passengers waiting for trains last night
Many passengers had hoped to travel to Glasgow for Cop26’s climate summit, but were instead stuck in London Euston
Journalists and academics were among those who complained on Twitter. Some pointed out signs at Euston praising the rail network’s green credentials – such as “Thanks for travelling to COP via train”
National Rail’s live departures and arrivals board revealed delays to more than 20 trains including those heading to Northampton, Glasgow Central and Liverpool Lime Street.
Avanti West Coast confirmed that it was ‘unable’ to run any services into and from London Euston and advised customers to avoid travel.
Simon Lewis, a climate change scientist from University College London, was on the 11am train from London to Edinburgh for the COP26. He said that he had been stuck since 11.45am due to weather disruptions.
He wrote on Twitter: ‘My train to Glasgow #COP26, via Edinburgh to avoid the crowds, now stationary due to gale force winds and severe rainfall causing a tree to fall on the line…’
Later, the scientist added that “This train ride is definitely Halloween themed, and it’s truly a horror show.” Four hours late, no buffet after 2pm.
A spokesman for Network Rail, Chris Halpin, said last night: ‘I’m afraid there are still major delays on the West Coast main line and the advice once again is to not travel this evening.
“That’s because the diversionary route through Northampton, which we used to be able to run trains on, is no longer viable.
“We had problems on Long Buckby’s West Coast main line this afternoon because overhead lines were damaged by trees that fell in the very wet, windy weather we had overnight.
“We had been running a diversionary path that got a limited amount of services back up again but that is now closed and blocked due to problems with the overhead electric cables there.
“Our engineers are working as fast and efficiently as possible to get routes up and running again so that we can get people moving again. But, our advice to people is not to travel this evening.
The rail company released the following statement: “We advise passengers seeking to travel from London to Glasgow. [on Monday]. This is because of the effects of heavy rain on the railway today.
“All lines north were affected at times, including the West Coast mainline, which is still impassable due in part to damaged overhead electric wires.
We are truly sorry. We exist to get people and goods quickly from A to B. Today’s extreme weather took us out.
Elsewhere David Johnson, who is attending Cop26 as chief executive of the Margaret Pyke Trust, said he was left sitting on his train from London Euston to Glasgow for more than half an hour at the station before being told to get off along with fellow passengers.
Hundreds of passengers were waiting in London’s Euston station for their train tickets to Glasgow for Cop26 climate summit.
A passenger reacts while waiting in Euston Station, after trains were cancelled before the UN Climate Change Conference.
Social media photos show a jammed London Euston station after a tree fell caused damage to overhead lines, suspending all train.
Many passengers are waiting for news about when trains will resume running. All passengers have been warned not to travel today
Today’s weather chaos resulted in the death of campaigners, journalists, and delegates travelling by train to the Glasgow conference on climate change. Pictured: London Euston is exempt due to overcrowding.
A Reuters reporter was reporting on a cancelled train service that said passengers at London Euston (pictured above) had changed their travel plans to book flights to Glasgow for the United Nations COP26 Climate Conference.
Simon Lewis, a climate change scientist from University College London, claimed he’s been stuck since 11:45am. David Johnson, chief executive of Margaret Pyke Trust, is attending Cop26 and said he was left on his train from London Euston, to Glasgow for over half an hour before being told to get out
He stated: “After an hour on a train to Glasgow, which never actually left London Euston,” we were asked to get out. On the station concourse, we saw the COP signage that said “Thanks for travelling by train”. It would be a great thing to have that chance.
Johnson was desperate to attend the conference and booked a flight between Gatwick and Glasgow. He said that it ‘doesn’t seem ridiculous’.
He added, “The irony that the climate impacts the trains, meaning that a flight to climate change conference is required to get there today, is not lost upon me.”
Another commuter shared the story of how their train went to Glasgow but was diverted to Euston by problems on the line.
Yesterday, just before 2pm, an announcement was made in the station that all train services were suspended and the concourse was closed due to overcrowding.
Photos shared on social media showed the concourse crowded with people in distress, many of them hoping to travel north for Sunday’s climate conference.
Others reported being stuck on slow moving or stationary trains – some for more than three hours – while others were forced to book domestic flights to reach the summit.
The Met Office stated that it happened after heavy rain and strong winds battered the UK.
With wind damage reports indicating that London was delayed by major travel delays, gusts exceeding 80mph were recorded.
The damage to overhead electric wires running between Rugby and Milton Keynes along the West Coast Main Line caused disruption at Euston. Network Rail said that its teams are currently on the scene near Long Buckby in Northamptonshire where the damage occurred.
The company stated it was working to remove the fallen tree and assess the damage before beginning repairs. Travellers are advised to avoid Euston and to check for updates regularly.
National Rail stated in a statement that severe weather was causing disruptions on several South Western Railway routes. The disruption is expected to continue until midnight.
“There have been several incidents affecting South Western Railway network now.
‘These include the following: Overrunning engineering works at Berrylands, overrunning engineering works at Guildford, multiple trees fallen across the network, an electricity supply issue at Fratton depot, a train fault at Guildford, a trespasser between Epsom and Leatherhead, flooding at Gillingham, a train fault at Richmond, a signalling problem at Motspur Park, a trespass incident at Isleworth, an ill passenger at Motspur Park, a precarious tree at Petersfield and an electricity supply problem at Totton.’
“This has caused severe disruption for trains and train crew.”
Multiple areas of wind damage were reported across the UK on Sunday. However, the Met Office was unable to determine if any tornadoes occurred.
Warnings of wind and rain are in effect for large areas of the west and other parts of the country. More are possible.
Tom Morgan, a meteorologist, stated that there is a deep Atlantic area with low pressure. This is bringing heavy rain and squalling winds to the entire country, but especially in the south.
“We’ve seen some very powerful gusts of wind along the south coast… and there have been a few reports about damage from the winds.
“It’s not unlikely that there will have been some brief, localised funnel clouds or tornadoes.
“In the past few days, we have seen reports and seen photos of funnel clouds as well as water spouts. These are similar to tornadoes.”
He said that wind speeds of 87 mph were recorded at an exposed spot on the Isle of Portland, Dorset, and gusts of 60 mph were recorded across Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire.
Train passengers who were trying to reach Glasgow in time for the Cop26 summit said that it was ‘ironic’ that their journeys were halted by stormy weather that blew a tree onto their train.
Passengers are forced to wait for news from London’s Euston Station after their trains are cancelled.
Hundreds of passengers are left homeless at London’s Euston Station as torrential rains and gale force winds batter the country.
After being told that their train was delayed or cancelled, stranded passengers looked at departures and arrivals boards.
Tonight’s live departures and arrivals board for National Rail showed delays to more that 20 trains, including those heading to Northampton, Glasgow Central and Liverpool Lyme Street.
After trains were cancelled in advance of the UN Climate Change Conference, hundreds of passengers still wait at Euston Station.
After trains were cancelled, a police officer gives information for passengers waiting at Euston Station. This was in the aftermath of the UN Climate Change Conference.
After extreme weather caused train cancellations, hundreds of passengers are still waiting outside London’s Euston station
Pictured: Vehicles travel through standing waters during heavy rains in Bromsgrove (West Midlands), this morning
As strong winds and heavy rain batter the UK, waves crash by the Porthcawl lighthouse, south Wales.
After heavy rains, a car submerged in water at FurnaceGrange Road, Wolverhampton.
Vehicles travel through standing water in Bromsgrove (West Midlands) during heavy rains.
Climate change scientist Simon Lewis said he was on the 11am service from London to Edinburgh but has been stuck since 11:45am as a result of trees felled by the wind.
He said, “We are moving a little every now and then, but we have not yet made it to Peterborough, the first stop.”
This is inconvenient. It serves as a reminder that climate changes are driving extreme weather events. Every country must adapt.
“But a stopped train is nothing in comparison to the two million people who were displaced by flooding in Shanxi Province in China last month and those who are facing famine in Madagascar today.
The Met Office has issued yellow forecasts for large parts in the country’s south, north west, and eastern regions of England and Scotland.
Flooding is possible, and drivers are warned to expect standing waters on roads. This could affect journey times.
After seeing bins fly and trees fall due to strong winds, one resident of Amesbury in Wiltshire believed they had witnessed a hurricane’.
Dr Emma Gillingham, an infectious disease ecologist, tweeted: “Did a Hurricane just hit Amesbury in Wiltshire?” Incredible wind suddenly from the unknown, trees breaking, wheelie containers flying, and all calm again now.
The Met Office stated that the ‘hurricane” was actually a squall, which is the name for a sudden, sharp increase of wind speed lasting minutes.
Northamptonshire Police stated that they received many calls about the weather conditions and that trees had fallen onto numerous roads throughout the county.
After a very close call, Reverend Richard Coles was inspired to take to social media.
He tweeted: ‘We were praying in church for the COP26 conference when we were struck by what I can only refer to as a tornado that took out a lot of trees, including this pre Conquest yew.
South Western Railway also apologized for customers who blocked a section of the network by trees. It stated that there could be cancellations or delays and that services may be altered.
It is believed that three people have drowned, and another person is in serious danger. They were swept off their paddleboards by a sudden storm on Saturday night, which turned a floodwater into a torrent.
They were part of an organized outing and had only been in the water for a few minutes when they were struck by a torrent of water as they paddled close to a weir on the river in Pembrokeshire.
They were swept from their boards, and they were seen “in distress” in River Cleddau, close to Haverfordwest.
Steven Keats, meteorologist said that conditions would begin to ‘going downward’ on Sunday.
Strong gusts coming from the west will brought a ‘wild start’ to the day, with potential for further disruption and wet weather going into the first week of November, according to the Met Office.
The yellow weather warning for Glasgow, where today’s global Cop26 climate conference starts, is also in effect.
As heavy rain and strong winds batter the UK, a tree was broken and a bin was blown across a residential street of Amesbury, Wiltshire.
He also said that heavy rain from the West will be increasing and that there will be heavy rain from the Atlantic.
“That will rule the weather into tomorrow.”
“Heavy rain will push across into…western England and Wales and be accompanied and gusty winds.
He added: “Given the fact trees are in full-leaf and the ground in many areas is pretty saturated, you could get one of the trees coming down.”
“It’s going be very unstable.”
Mr Keats said that while temperatures are expected to drop over the next week, it will bring a seasonal’ feeling and that the weather will remain ‘unsettled’. However, there is still the possibility of heavy downpours.
‘The most disruptive potential from the weather will be in the next 24 to 36 hours’, he said.
As Boris Johnson read the riot act to world leaders ahead of the COP26 summit at Glasgow, the extreme weather warning comes as the world leaders’ promises to tackle climate change are beginning to’sound hollow.
Prime Minister said that there are no compelling reasons to procrastinate on reducing harmful emissions, and that the action taken so far amounts to ‘drops into a rapidly warming sea’.
At the G20 summit in Rome he stated that only 12 club members had committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050.
He said that if the upcoming gathering in Glasgow does not achieve a major breakthrough, then the whole thing will fail.
Johnson stated that world leaders must now complete the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change. He warned that failure to do so would leave the world’s only viable mechanism to deal with climate change ‘holed below the water line’.
The premier stepped up his rhetoric amid fears that the summit at Glasgow might fail. He agreed that the G20 pledge to achieve zero carbon emissions ‘by or about mid-century’ was too vague.
Johnson stated that he agreed with the goal when questioned during a press conference. He said that it was a function of the differences between some colleagues.
“Some countries, as we all know, have made commitments for 2060 rather that 2050. They have stated 2060 or earlier. We want to bring those commitments forward sooner.
The PM has been trying the Rome summit of powerful countries, including Russia and China, to build momentum for COP26. This afternoon officially got underway and will see world leaders meet tomorrow.
However, the G20 communique backed urgent action but it gave more leeway for emissions to continue. It also replaced the original goal of “2050” with looser language.