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Heavy rain and flooding cause rail disruptions in Scotland

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Rail services have been affected as heavy rain has led to flooding in some parts of Scotland.

PA Wire

Network Rail said the heavy overnight rain “means we need to limit train speeds in many areas of Scotland for everyone’s safety”.

The West Coast Main Line is closed between Lockerbie and Carstairs due to flooding at Beattock, Dumfries and Galloway, following “extreme overnight rainfall”.

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Network Rail Scotland tweeted: “We’re dealing with over 20+ flooding issues across Scotland’s Railway, causing severe disruption.”

ScotRail advised that services through Drumchapel station in Glasgow are being severely affected by the weather, and various other routes have also been disrupted, including trains going through Glasgow Queen Street.

Some trains may travel at a reduced speed or be cancelled.

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A Met Office amber alert for heavy rain in parts of Dumfries and Galloway as well as the Scottish Borders was in force until midday, while yellow weather warnings of snow and ice cover other areas of the country.

Forecasters said around 40-50mm of rain was expected in the amber warning area, with 60-70mm possible in upland locations, with the potential for fast-flowing or deep floodwater, causing danger to life.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (Sepa) has issued 10 flood alerts and 27 flood warnings across Scotland.

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River levels were expected to rise as a result of heavy overnight rain, with levels peaking during daylight hours on Friday.

Dumfries and Galloway Council urged people to take care, and tweeted: “We’ve seen a lot of rain overnight. There’s a lot of surface water on roads across D&G. Please be safe out there if you’re travelling.”

Roads affected by flooding on Friday morning included the A90 northbound Stonehaven-Muchalls in Aberdeenshire, A90 southbound at Stracathro in Angus, with flood units responding in the area, and the A76 Sanquhar carriageway in Dumfries and Galloway, where Traffic Scotland said conditions are “extremely difficult”.

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Police in Dumfries said they were expecting flooding in Whitesands, Dockhead, and Dock Park overnight and on Friday.

Motorists are also facing difficult driving conditions.

Roads affected by flooding on Friday morning included the A90 northbound Stonehaven-Muchalls in Aberdeenshire, A90 southbound at Stracathro in Angus, with flood units responding in the area, and the A76 Sanquhar carriageway in Dumfries and Galloway, where Traffic Scotland said conditions are “extremely difficult”.

Police in Dumfries said they were expecting flooding in Whitesands, Dockhead, and Dock Park overnight and on Friday.

The Met Office said the deadly bomb cyclone that sent temperatures plunging in the US over Christmas is causing the unsettled weather in the UK.

A yellow weather warning for heavy rain is in effect in Scotland until 2pm on Friday, covering central Scotland, Tayside and Fife, south-west Scotland, Lothian and Borders and Strathclyde.


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