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Are trains cancelled today? How rail travel, flights, ferries and buses are affected by Storm Ciaran across UK

Gusts of over 100mph and heavy rainfall have led to travel chaos in many parts of the country

Transport has been severely affected by Storm Ciarán on Thursday and the disruption is expected to continue into Friday.

Gusts of more than 100mph have left thousands of homes without power, forced school closures and caused travel chaos as the storm battered the south of England and the Channel Islands.

The Met Office dialled back their wind warnings later on Thursday morning, with one amber warning, the second most severe, remaining in place for the south of England until 12 noon.

People across southern England were told to stay at home and not attempt to travel into work.

Flooding is expected in 77 areas, according to the Environment Agency, most of which are on the south coast of England.

A further 188 alerts are in place for possible flooding across England.

Trains

BURTON BRADSTOCK, DORSET - NOVEMBER 02: People are rescued from their holiday chalets by fire and rescue at Freshwater Beach Holiday Park, on November 02, 2023 in Burton Bradstock, Dorset. Storm Ciaran swept across the southwest and south of England overnight posing a formidable threat in certain areas such as Jersey, where winds exceeded 100 mph overnight. This, along with the already-soaked ground from Storm Babet, increases the risk of flooding in already vulnerable areas. (Photo by Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)
Dorset is among many places to have been hit by flooding (Photo: Finnbarr Webster/Getty Images)

Several rail services are affected by Storm Ciarán today, with National Rail urging people to check with their operator before travelling.

Most train companies running services in the south of England, South Wales and north-east England are expected to be affected on both Thursday and Friday.

They include c2c, CrossCountry, the Elizabeth line, Gatwick Express, Southern and Thameslink, Greater Western, LNER, Northern , Southeeastern, South Western and Transport for Wales.

At the time of writing, the line between Brockenhurst and Bournemouth is blocked due to flooding, no trains are running between the East Coast and Hastings/Ashford until further notice and the service between Brighton and London has been significantly reduced.

Other examples include the line between Southampton and Salisbury which is closed to flooding and many services are cancelled on the Isle of Wight.

Passengers are being advised that if their train is cancelled, delayed or rescheduled, or a Do Not Travel warning is in place, they have the option to cancel their journey and get a full refund.

Flights

Dozens of flights have been cancelled from UK airports due to the severe weather.

Airlines affected include British Airways which has cancelled at least 40 flights from Heathrow and KLM which has cancelled flights to and from Amsterdam.

Flights to and from the Channel Islands, which have been hit badly by the storm, have been cancelled from both Exeter and Bristol airports.

Passengers flying to Dublin are also facing cancellations.

Ferries

All sailings by DFDS Ferries between the UK and France have been cancelled until Friday morning.

Condor Ferries has also cancelled sailings to and from Jersey.

Brittany Ferries has also said it may have to cancel services and told customers to watch out for updates issued via email or text message.

DOVER, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 2: People clear fallen trees from a road on November 2, 2023 in Dover, England. Storm Ciaran swept across the southwest and south of England overnight posing a formidable threat in certain areas such as Jersey, where winds exceeded 100 mph overnight. This, along with the already-soaked ground from Storm Babet, increases the risk of flooding in already vulnerable areas. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Roads have been closed due to fallen trees and flooding in many parts of the South of England (Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images)

Buses

A large number of bus services have been hit by Storm Ciarán across the country, as a result of flooding and fallen trees.

In the West of England, First bus group warned passengers on Thursday: “We are closely monitoring Storm Ciaran & expecting the peak to hit between 11am-2pm.”

In Eastbourne, bus company Stagecoach said all services operated by its depot have been suspended.

“Safety is our top priority and this decision has been taken to keep both yourselves and our staff safe,” a spokesperson told the BBC.

Roads

There are widespread reports of road closures due to the storm, including the A29 in West Sussex, Southampton’s Itchen Bridge and the A37 in Somerset.

National Highways and the RAC have issued advice for motorists including urging them to avoid driving during heavy downpours, sticking to main roads that are less likely to be affected by debris or flooding and slowing down to allow more time to react to obstacles.

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