Storm Babet: No trains on Fife Circle on Thursday and Friday as line to close

Network Rail has said it will close several lines in the north and north-east of Scotland with the Met Office having issued severe weather warnings for wind and rain.

The Fife Circle is one such route that will be closed, as are routes between Edinburgh and Aberdeen, via Fife and those in and out of Perth.

Speed restrictions will also be introduced on lines in central and eastern Scotland to help keep people safe during the storm – the second named storm of the season – which is expected to bring torrential rain and wind gusts of up to 70mph.

A series of weather warnings have been issued by the Met Office in relation to the storm including a rare red weather warning for rain across Angus and south Aberdeenshire. Those in areas impacted by the red warning are being strongly advised not to travel.

An amber warning for rain in Fife is in place from 10am to 6pm on Thursday, while a yellow warning for rain runs from 6am on Thursday until 6am on Saturday.

The Kingdom is also under a yellow weather warning for wind from 3am on Thursday to noon on Friday.

The strong winds could uproot trees and blow them onto the tracks damaging railway infrastructure, while the torrential rain could cause potential flood damage.

Network Rail said engineers will inspect the affected lines on Saturday morning for any damage and will reopen them as soon as it’s safe to do so.

A revised timetable will be in place across central and eastern areas on Thursday and Friday due to the extended journey times that the speed restrictions will bring.

Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “Our top priority is the safety of our passengers and colleagues, so we’ll close lines in the worst affected areas and introduce speed restrictions in others as a precaution. Our engineers will thoroughly inspect the network for any damage before we reopen the lines and restart train services.

"Weather specialists, based in our control room, will monitor conditions closely throughout Thursday and Friday, and our teams on the ground will be ready to deal with any issues Storm Babet may cause.”

ScotRail has advised customers that they should only travel if necessary on routes affected by the weather warnings, they should expect delays and should check their journey online before travelling. Services may be subject to delay or cancellation on those routes impacted by precautionary speed restrictions.

Customers whose journey has been cancelled or disrupted due to adverse weather can travel one day before or two days after the date on their ticket. Customers can also apply for a fee-free refund on any unused tickets.

David Simpson, service delivery director for ScotRail, added: “We know the impact that the withdrawal of some train services will have on customers, but our first priority is always to ensure the safety of our staff and customers. This is a necessary step to ensure everyone’s safety during the severe weather.”