Storm Bert: Transpennine Express axes Edinburgh services ahead of 'multi-hazard event'

TransPennine Express has been forced to cancel its services to Edinburgh as Storm Bert is set to hit the country.

The train operator has axed services travelling north of Carlisle on Saturday, November 23, due to the severe weather warning issued for the weekend. TPE has now given its customers the option to change their travel plans.

A TPE spokesperson told the M.E.N. that all services between the north west of England - Manchester and Liverpool - and Edinburgh and Glasgow had been impacted by Saturday's cancellations. All services will either terminate or start at Carlisle, they added.

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The operator has said customers with tickets already purchased for travel between Manchester Airport and Glasgow/Edinburgh, Liverpool and Glasgow, and Edinburgh and Newcastle/Berwick for Saturday, November 23, or Sunday, November 24, can use their tickets on any TPE service between Friday and Sunday (November 22 to 24) instead.

Adam Fairclough, Interim Customer Experience and Transformation Director, said: "Due to bad weather over the weekend we have been forced to cancel some of our services on Saturday.

"We want to keep our customers on the move during cold weather conditions, which is why we have teamed up with other operators and given passengers the option to change their plans to travel with us.

"We urge anyone planning to use our services to check before they travel in case of any disruption during Storm Bert."

The Met Office has issued several weather warnings for this weekend as Storm Bert was set to bring a "multi-hazard event" to the UK.

Meanwhile, Avanti West Coast advised customers not to travel north of Preston – including Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh – on Saturday because of the expected disruption from Storm Bert.

“If you were due to travel on this route, your existing ticket can now be used anytime from Friday November 22 to the end of service on Monday November 25,” the train company said.

A yellow weather warning for rain and snow has been issued for much of Scotland, including Edinburgh which is in place from 4am until 9am on Sunday.

The Met Office warns Heavy snow on Saturday, followed by a rapid thaw and subsequent rain on Saturday night, may cause some disruption.