Passengers are bracing for a medley of travel disruptions brought by Storm Goretti, with weekend travel plans at risk.
The UK has endured almost everything theweather has in its arsenal this week – snow, ice, rain, sleet and strong winds.
And the weather has more in store as Storm Goretti is about to sweep across the British Isles, sparking the Met Office to issue several amber and yellow weather alerts, and a rare red warning for dangerous winds in Cornwall.
Snow up to 10cm will be the norm in large swathes of England and Wales, while some places might see up to 30cm of powder. You can see what the approaching storm looks like on the tracker here.
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While fresh snow is easy on the eye when you can sit back and enjoy it, UK transport networks tend to tremble at the first sign of a snowflake, so read on how Storm Goretti could disrupt weekend travel plans.
How Storm Goretti will affect train travel
A majority of train operators in the UK have issued a travel alert ahead of the storm, including Great Western Railway, SWR, Northern and Transport for Wales.
Six lines on the Transport for Wales network will fully close from 3pm today, followed by a reduced service.
Northern issued a ‘do not travel’ warning between Sheffield and Manchester, and Manchester to Glossop and Buxton from tonight at 6pm until Saturday morning.
Meanwhile, several South Western Railway services have been cancelled tonight, including trains between Waterloo, Bournemouth, Weymouth and Portsmouth Harbour.
Avanti West Coast, LNER and CrossCountry
Avanti, LNER and CrossCountry advised passengers to complete travel before 3pm today as the weather is expected to worsen. Tickets marked for today are generally allowed for travel at any time today, and CrossCountry allows travel with tickets marked for today until Saturday.
Eurostar
If you are due to travel on Eurostar ahead of the weekend, brace for possible delays – and snowy landscapes resembling the Arctic after Storm Goretti has already swept in the region.
Trains were disrupted in France, where the Eiffel Tower was also covered with a blanket of snow. Buses in the French capital were suspended.
Some Eurostar trains from London were delayed this morning due to technical issues at St Pancras.
Are flights affected?
Ryanair has issued a travel update for potential disruption to and from the UK today due to snow and ice.
The budget airline said: ‘Affected passengers will be notified and we encourage all passengers due to travel to/from the UK to keep an eye on the Ryanair app for the latest updates.’
Some flights from London Heathrow are affected today, according to Flightradar24. British Airways and Air France flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle are listed as delayed today.
BA flights at midday to Milan and Geneva have been cancelled.
At Gatwick, the UK’s second busiest airport, two BA flights to Jersey are listed as cancelled on Flightradar24.
Some flights from Manchester Airport are listed as delayed today, including to Amsterdam, Paris Charles de Gaulle, and Jersey.
KLM warned that it was running out of de-icing fluid after severe wintry weather has grounded planes in the Netherlands. The Dutch airline’s de-icing trucks were in use round the clock at Schiphol airport earlier this week, burning through 85,000 litres of the mixture a day.
What are my rights if my flight has been cancelled?
In the UK and EU, airlines must look after you if your flight is delayed or cancelled.
This includes everything from meals and accommodation to an alternative flight if necessary.
Citizen’s Advice says that airlines should also give impacted passengers access to phone calls and emails, and, if they offer you a place to stay, organise the journeys between the hotel and the airport.
Sometimes, the airline will cover this by handing you vouchers at the airport. When in doubt, keep any receipts for expenses and claim them back afterwards from the airline.
But an airline will only cough up money for ‘reasonable’ expenses.
The hotel minibar or penthouse suites are not up for grabs.
If you didn’t book with a UK or EU airline, you’ll need to check their terms and conditions. However, for the most part, airlines should provide meals and accommodation as appropriate.
When am I eligible for this support?
Whether you’re eligible for the above depends on the distance of your flight and how long you have waited:
For medium-haul (between 1,500km and 3,500km over two to four hours), it’s three hours or more.
For long-haul (more than 3,500km over four hours or more), it’s four hours or more.
For short-haul (up to 1,500km over two hours or less), you must have been waiting for two hours or more.
Storm Goretti warning on roads
Major roads could be affected when the storm lands in the UK.
Shaun Jones, a road patrol expert with the AA, said: ‘With Storm Goretti delivering heavy snow, strong winds and rapidly changing road conditions across central England, drivers need to approach every journey with heightened caution. Snowfall combined with gusty winds can reduce visibility in seconds, and even familiar routes may become hazardous very quickly.’
In anticipation of the rough weather, National Highways has cancelled a planned closure on the A52 in the East Midlands. Snow gates remain closed on some smaller roads in northern Scotland like the A939 and B974 where the region is covering from a previous snow dump this week.
What about ferries?
Stena Line has reportedly cancelled an evening journey between Portsmouth and Jersey today, while Irish Ferries has brought forward services between Holyhead and Dublin, and some Dover-Calais ferries tomorrow to avoid the rough seas.
Holyhead Port was temporarily closed yesterday after a berthing incident involving Stena Line’s Estrid ferry, which was damaged on its hull. Full services at Holyhead, one of the UK’s busiest ports with services to Dublin, have since resumed.
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