Rail passengers strongly urged not to travel to Edinburgh as Storm Pia batters the UK

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A train operator has “strongly” urged its customers not to travel on services to and from Edinburgh before mid-afternoon, as Storm Pia is expected to cause significant disruption.Issuing “do not travel” advice, TransPennine Express (TPE) asked customers to delay their journeys in and out of the Scottish capital until after 3pm, as parts of the UK brace for high winds.A yellow weather warning for wind came into effect at midnight and will last until 9pm, with forecasted gusts of 70mph to 80mph in northern Scotland – 65mph to 70mph on high ground – and 45mph to 55mph elsewhere in the country.The warning also covers Belfast, Newcastle upon Tyne and Manchester.The Police Service of Northern Ireland warned people on the roads to be aware of the potential for falling trees and debris.A statement said: “Road users are advised of potential traffic disruption this morning, Thursday 21st December, caused by fallen trees and debris in some areas across Northern Ireland.“Officers have been assisting with traffic control whilst local roads are being cleared of any obstructions, and we thank you for your patience as we continue to do so.”Schools in Shetland will be closed on Thursday and more electricity network engineers are being brought in to deal with any power cuts.Ferry services across the west coast of Scotland are expected to be disrupted, CalMac said.TPE said there will be speed restrictions in place from the early hours for trains running to and from Edinburgh and that it will not run services between the city and north-west England until Thursday afternoon.Kathryn O’Brien, customer experience and operations director for TPE, said: “Our number one priority is to keep our customers and colleagues safe, and we will be doing