RAIL passengers are being advised to check before they travel this weekend as engineers rapidly repair railway lines after one of the worst storms in 30 years.

Major routes, including the West Coast main line, Chiltern main line, and railway links in the Midlands, North West and Cumbria are recovering from Storm Eunice which brough 90mph winds on Friday.

Because of the level of damage, it will take several days for timetables to return to normal.

Dave Penney, Network Rail’s passenger director for the North West and Central region, said: “I’d like to thank people for their patience while we tried our best to fend off Storm Eunice as it ripped across the railway.

“Hundreds of railway staff worked bravely in horrendous conditions and I’d also like to pay tribute to their courageous work to keep passengers safe. The scale of the damage in some areas will take some time to fix, so I’d urge passengers to check National Rail Enquiries over the next few days as we continue the clear up operation from this once in a generation weather event.”

Hundreds of trees were blown onto tracks right across the country during Storm Eunice and also Storm Dudley just 24 hours before that.

Network Rail and train operators are working together to keep people safe and get all rail routes reopen as soon as possible.

People who had tickets booked for Friday can use their ticket to travel on equivalent services over the coming days.

Those affected should check with their train operator for their exact travel options.

For more information, visit: www.nationalrail.co.uk