ScotRail has cancelled all trains tomorrow in the face of a predicted storm which could include gusts of 160km/h.

The effects of Storm Éowyn are now likely to be worse than had been thought, and the Met Office has issued an upgraded red warning for much of Scotland which includes the central belt as well as the Borders, Fife, Tayside and the south west towards Carlisle.

ScotRail service delivery director Mark Ilderton said: ‘The Met Office weather warnings for very high winds across the country mean that it will not be safe for our customers and our staff, and all ScotRail train services will be suspended on Friday.

‘We recognise the impact that the withdrawal of train services will have on customers, but our first priority is always to ensure the safety of staff and passengers – and this is a necessary step to ensure everyone’s safety during the severe weather.

‘Our colleagues at Network Rail Scotland will be working flat out once the worst of the weather passes, to carry out safety checks and assess what repairs are required to reopen the railway.

‘We will update our website, mobile app, and social media feeds with the latest travel advice, and customers should check for further updates before they attempt to travel on Saturday morning.’

There are also warnings of severe weather south of the border. Trains will be cancelled north of Newcastle from 11.00 onwards, and northbound passengers are being urged not to try to travel beyond York.

There will be no trains on the West Coast Main Line north of Preston between 03.00 and 22.00 tomorrow, and some exposed platforms at Preston may be closed for safety reasons.

Trains will be cancelled on the Settle & Carlisle and Cumbrian Coast lines, and on the branches to Windermere and Morecambe, from 03.00 tomorrow morning until 12 noon on Saturday. The line from Carnforth towards Settle will also be closed during this time.

Passengers on Merseyrail are being advised to check before they travel.

National Rail tickets for Friday are being accepted today and through to Monday to allow passengers to avoid the worst of the storm.

Network Rail operations director Sam MacDougall said: ‘Storm Éowyn will bring high winds which will have an effect on our ability to run trains on the East Coast Main Line and in the North East.

‘This weather arrives just before our engineering work on the south end of the East Coast Main Line, with no trains to or from King’s Cross at the weekend, so passengers are urged to travel early, today if they can, to avoid being further affected after the worst of the storm has passed.

‘The decision to tell passengers not to travel is not taken lightly, but given Friday’s forecast it’s the best way of keeping people safe.’

Transport for Wales operations director Sarah Higgins said: ‘It’s so important for our customers to plan ahead when looking to travel this Friday.

‘While we’ve made a number of changes to our services based on detailed forecasts, storms can still be unpredictable.

‘We’ve seen the impact storms can have, with damage to trains and infrastructure sometimes taking weeks or months to repair, so our cross-industry approach will hopefully limit that and keep our colleagues and customers safe. We apologise to customers for any disruption to their journeys as a result.’

Train operators have warned that changes to services have already started, and that further alterations could be expected at short notice once the storm arrives.

Meanwhile, people living near railway lines are being urged to tie down loose garden items, like trampolines or gazebos, which could blow on to the railway. If this happens, they could cause further delays to trains.

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