Rail services to end early as Storm Isha batters Scotland with strong winds amid amber weather warning

Rail services across Scotland will be ending early as Storm Isha brings severe weather conditions to all parts of the network.

Network Rail confirmed that many lines across the country will be closing from 7pm on Sunday night.

Rail services will come to an early stop on all routes outside the central belt, along with Fife, Borders, Maryhill, East Kilbride and Kilmarnock lines.

Other lines in the central belt will have a reduced timetable and longer journey times as trains will be limited to 40mph.

A spokesperson for ScotRail said following the closure there will be no services on the routes until they have been checked on Monday – which won’t be until the afternoon for some routes.

Passengers have been warned to check their journey with their train operator before travelling.

The news comes as the Met Office amber weather warning comes in place across most of Scotland due to the arrival of Storm Isha.

The alert comes into place at 9pm on Sunday and will be in place until 9am on Monday covering most of Scotland, except the the Shetland Islands which is currently under a yellow warning for wind.

Gusts reaching 65-75mph are expected widely, and even 80-85mph gusts could hit very locally over parts of west and northern Scotland.

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “Our priority is the safety of our passengers and colleagues and that is why we have taken the decision to close some parts of our network early on Sunday night as the worst of Storm Isha hits the country.

“Our engineers will also need to thoroughly inspect the network for any damage before we reopen the lines and restart train services on Monday morning.

“Weather specialists, based in our control room, will monitor conditions closely throughout the weekend and our teams on the ground will be ready to deal with any issues caused by the storm as quickly as possible.”

Phil Campbell, ScotRail customer operations director, said: “We are working closely with our colleagues at Network Rail to deal with the expected impact as Storm Isha hits the country.

“The storm means we won’t be able to run trains on some routes from 7pm on Sunday and speed restrictions will be in place in other areas resulting in a reduced service and longer journey times. Disruption will continue into Monday as safety checks will need to be carried out in daylight.

“This is an ever-changing picture, and we urge customers to check their journey before they travel, and can keep up to date via our website, app, or social media channels.”