Long-distance trains out of London Paddington to the West Country will be cut back to Plymouth tomorrow as Storm Austen brings winds that could top 80mph in coastal areas.
Great Western Railway and Network Rail have amended Friday’s timetable, with services towards Devon and Cornwall running between Reading and Plymouth only and onward connections by local trains. Thursday night’s Sleeper service from London Paddington will also terminate at Plymouth rather than continuing into Cornwall.
The move follows a Met Office amber weather warning — its second-highest — for strong winds and gusts across the South West, issued for Friday 23 October. Gusts could exceed 80mph along the coast, and GWR says it will impose lower speed limits on routes through Devon and Cornwall between the start of service and 1pm to keep trains running safely.
What passengers should do on Friday morning
Anyone planning to travel out of Paddington tomorrow should check their train before setting off. GWR’s message is blunt: check before you travel, allow extra time, and be ready for journeys to change at short notice. The amended timetable is available on the GWR storm advice page.
If your train is cancelled or delayed, you can claim a refund and you may be entitled to compensation through GWR’s Delay Repay scheme. That is worth knowing now rather than discovering it on the platform — keep hold of your tickets and screenshots of any cancelled departures.
Passengers heading beyond Plymouth should expect to change onto local services, which may themselves be disrupted by speed restrictions and debris on the line. If your journey is non-essential and you have a flexible ticket, consider whether it can wait until conditions ease on Friday afternoon.
Why the amber warning matters
The Met Office issues amber warnings when there is a significant chance of disruption and a risk to life and property. At 80mph-plus, gusts can bring down trees and scaffolding, lift roof tiles and make high-sided vehicles difficult to control — which is exactly why the railway is slowing trains to a crawl through the worst-hit areas.
Lower speed limits are a standard precaution in high winds. Trains running at reduced speed are far less likely to derail if a branch or object blows onto the track, and they give drivers more time to spot hazards. The trade-off is timetable chaos: slower trains occupy lines for longer, so fewer services can run and delays cascade through the day.
Storm Austen is not confining its effects to the South West. Kenwood House in Hampstead will close on Friday as winds batter the capital (Storm Austen winds force Kenwood House to close on Friday), and the storm has already caused flight cancellations at London airports earlier in the week.
Weekend travel could still be affected
The rail curtailment adds to a difficult weekend for travellers. The M25 faces a series of closures from Friday through Monday, including the Dartford Crossing and QEII Bridge (M25 weekend closures mapped: every shutdown from Friday to Monday), so drivers cannot simply switch to the roads without expecting severe disruption.
GWR says conditions on Friday morning will be assessed as the day goes on, but passengers should plan on the basis of the amended timetable rather than hoping for a quick return to normal. With speed restrictions in place until at least 1pm, services are unlikely to recover until well into the afternoon — and even then, displaced trains and crew will take hours to get back into position.
For commuters within London, the wider network has already shown how fragile things can get in bad weather: the Elizabeth line suffered delays earlier in the week after a faulty train at Custom House (Faulty train brings delays to the Elizabeth line this morning). Check before you travel, and leave earlier than you think you need.
