Storm Austen disrupted rail services across the East of England and East London over the weekend of 23-25 October 2026. Greater Anglia cancelled trains on the Colchester to Ipswich, Manningtree to Harwich Town routes, and Stansted Express services on Saturday following damage to overhead line equipment. Lines between Ipswich and Felixstowe, and Marks Tey and Sudbury, Suffolk, remained affected on Sunday. London Northwestern Railway faced delays Sunday morning due to a tree blocking the line between Watford Junction and St Albans Abbey.
Power Outages and Repair Efforts
Winds from Storm Austen damaged a high-voltage power line, cutting electricity to roughly 2,500 properties around Bury St
Edmunds on Friday night. UK Power Network engineers operated through the weekend to repair the line, stating they worked “as quickly and as safely as possible” to restore power. The A11 road closed briefly at 23:30 BST Saturday night after fallen power cables obstructed the route but reopened later.
Passenger Impact and Responses
Passengers at Ipswich station encountered heavy crowds Saturday morning, waiting for shuttle train services to Colchester after cancellations. Some travelers reported an absence of staff assistance with alternative routes. One passenger described delays exceeding two hours aboard a train from Colchester to Norwich on Friday night, with the conductor warning, “Sorry
folks, we’ll be in for a long night, we don’t have any updates.” Taxi services near Colchester station had queues and fare estimates approaching £300 for journeys to Norwich, prompting some passengers to seek family assistance to reach home.
Road Closures and Emergency Services
Storm Austen led to multiple fallen trees blocking roads and rail lines. Suffolk Highways received around 130 emergency calls about downed trees and cables, closing roads including Station Road at Bentley and Main Road in Wolverstone. A large tree fell on a car in Burnt Mills Road, Pitsea, Essex, requiring Essex Firefighters to free the occupant; no injuries were reported. Teams
also cleared blocked roads in Westcliff-on-Sea, Braintree, and near Stansted Airport throughout Friday afternoon and evening.
Freight Train Derailment and Rail Service Disruption in East London
At 13:10 BST on Friday, a freight train partially derailed near Barking, east London, blocking two platforms at Barking station. This caused cancellations or diversions on London Overground, where services operated only between Gospel Oak and South Tottenham, and suspended c2c services between Barking and Grays. Delays of around 10 minutes affected some routes. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch and British Transport Police are investigating the incident, with disruption expected to last until at least the end of the day Friday.
Rail operators and
emergency services issued advisories throughout the weekend. Greater Anglia apologized for the weekend’s disruptions and urged passengers to check travel updates before journeys. Network Rail North West network operations director Ross Davies warned of short-notice cancellations due to ongoing storm conditions. Essex Police confirmed road closures during clearance operations without injury reports. A GBR Anglia spokesperson said no injuries were reported from the Barking derailment and acknowledged the ongoing disruption.
On Sunday, London to Stansted Airport trains ran a good service, while minor disruptions remained on lines from London to Norwich and Ipswich, and amended services operated between London and
Cambridge. Tickets were transferable across several operators on alternative routes including via Thameslink to King’s Cross and St Pancras stations.
