THOUSANDS of rail passengers were caught up in severe delays at York Station, after windy weather caused havoc on the tracks.

All southbound GNER services between York and London were affected.

A spokeswoman for Network Rail, which owns the station, said: "We had extreme weather throughout the country.

There were all manner of issues on the track, including electricity lines down and trees on the line. We had speed restrictions operating all day."

A GNER spokesman said power lines had been torn down by falling trees at an important junction at Wellwyn Garden City, near Peterborough.

The company announced it was operating a revised and reduced timetable today as work was completed to clear debris from tracks and overhead power lines were fixed.

GNER said initially it would run two trains an hour between London King's Cross and Newcastle, and one train an hour to and from Edinburgh.

It was hoped service frequencies would gradually improve during the day.

Yvonne Chittick, from Kirriemuir, in Angus, who was caught up yesterday's chaos, said: "They told us we could turn around and go back to Aberdeen, which would have taken us another four hours, or find a hotel here.

"They even recommended some hotels to us so we're going to stay here."

TransPennine Express services to Leeds and Manchester were also delayed by the 75mph gusts.

A spokesman for Hull Trains said services out of Selby Station were delayed as speed restrictions on the East Coast Main Line affected their running times.

Tree crashes through roof

A large tree crashed into an empty building opposite the former Terry's factory, off Bishopthorpe Road.

Its roof was smashed through by the tree and a side wall reduced to rubble - but fortunately no-one was hurt.

Tom Andrews, 22, of Holgate, a tree surgeon for City of York Council, led the clean up operation.

"The tree has made a real mess of the building," he said. The roof has been smashed through.

"This has been our busiest day of the year. There is tons of stuff for us to clean up."

Countdown to storms mayhem

  • 10.27am: A man is rescued by firefighters from a roof, three-storeys up on a building in Calcaria Court, opposite the Holiday Inn, off Tadcaster Road, York. His ladder had blown away in the strong gales.
  • 11.20am: Glass shatters from a property window on to Brook Street, Selby. Firefighters make the area safe.
  • noon: A lorry is blown off a bridge into the canal at Skipton Bypass, Skipton.
  • 12.20pm: Firefighters deal with a dangerous sign hanging over the road at Low Ousegate, York.
  • 12.22pm: The A59 is temporarily closed after greenhouse panels are blown on to it from Wyvale garden centre, near York
  • 12.25pm: A lorry driver has a lucky escape after his vehicle overturns into a ditch in Old Quarry Lane, South Milford. He is uninjured.
  • 1.17pm: A plate glass window hangs precariously 20 metres over the car park at the Holiday Inn in King's Road, Harrogate. Fire crews make the area the safe using an ladder aerial ladder.
  • 1.33pm: Scott Road Community Centre, in Selby, is closed after a tree blows over onto two cars in the car park. No-one is injured.
  • 1.35pm: A shop sign becomes dangerously loose in the wind in Lendal, York. Firefighters use a ladder and small tools to make it safe. A passer-by also reports that a brick from the post office in Lendal becomes loose and strikes a passing girl on the head. She is not believed to have been badly hurt.
  • 1.38pm: Fencing is blown onto the road and footpath in Charles Street, Selby.
  • 1.46pm: A glass canopy is removed in Parliament Street, Harrogate.
  • 2.26pm: A man is taken to hospital after his HGV overturns on the A1 between Walshford and Allerton Park.
  • 2.06pm: A tree blows over in Station Road, Kelfield.
  • 2.23pm: A chimney pot is made safe by firefighters in North Back Lane, Terrington.

LUKE FARRINGTON spoke to commuters caught up in the chaos at York Station

Jim Barker, a consulting engineer, of St Albans, said: "We were on a GNER train from Newcastle and they told us there was a problem with the overhead lines further south so we stopped here.

"We tried to hire a car but we've been told the M1 is bad so we've managed to find a hotel for the night."

Donald Chittick, an accountant, of Kirriemuir, in Angus, said: "To be fair to the station staff, the guy was as helpful as he could have been, but it's hard for them in that situation."

Ian Robinson, a purchasing director, of London, said: "I was supposed to be flying down to London but the planes were cancelled so I got the train from Durham, now that has been cancelled too. I'll just have to book into a hotel."

Johnny Dingwall, of Edinburgh, said: "We now have to stay here for the night.

"We just hope it's fixed by Saturday because we're flying to Australia; we need to be in London soon."

Colin Rosshard, an engineer, of Peterborough, said: "That's life, you've just got to get on with it.

"Fortunately, someone I know can come and pick me up so I'm getting a lift home."