All rail services north of Preston have been suspended due to Storm Bert.

Avanti West Coast is advising passengers not to try and travel during Saturday (23 November) afternoon and evening.

Signs up within Preston Railway Station advise due to severe weather warnings and conditions services are being terminated at Preston and no replacement buses are being put on – leaving thousands of people stranded.

A spokesperson for Avanti said: We’re advising customers not to travel north of Preston on Saturday 23 November due to the disruption expected from Storm Bert. Our destinations north of Preston include Lancaster, Oxenholme, Penrith, Carlisle, Glasgow and Edinburgh. If you were due to travel on this route, your existing ticket can now be used anytime from Friday 22 November to the end of service on Monday 25 November.”

Transpennine Express has also suspended all services north of Preston – with the same alternative travel arrangements in place with tickets being valid during Sunday and Monday. They are not putting on any replacement travel options.

Elsewhere Northern has suspended services between Lancaster and Workington and there is severe disruption between Workington and Carlisle and short-notice cancellations elsewhere on the network.

There’s also disruption and delays to services between Preston and destinations further south due to the weather conditions.

The Met Office has a weather warning in force until the early hours of Sunday (24 November) morning for heavy rain and flood alerts have been issued on rivers in and around Preston.

If you are stranded in Preston the city’s Christmas lights switch on takes place from 5.30pm on the city’s Flag Market this evening.

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Additional reporting by Sophie Swain