Contingencies in place as Storm Goretti snow warnings threaten to disrupt Sunderland FA Cup tie at Everton
Contingencies are being put in place to deal with potential bad weather that could impact rail transport to Sunderland’s FA Cup tie at Everton this weekend.
The Blues welcome Sunderland in an early kick off on Saturday afternoon as the Hill Dickinson Stadium hosts its first ever clash in the world’s oldest cup competition.
In the North West city, tens of thousands of fans are expected to use Merseyrail services to get to and from the match that gets underway at 12.15pm. Sandhills station is expected to be busy with Evertonians braving the cold weather expected to hit later in the week.
With temperatures expected to drop below freezing again, transport operators will be on alert to ensure fans can make the journey to Bramley-Moore Dock safely. Speaking on a BBC Radio Merseyside phone-in, Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram, said preparations were underway already to ensure Merseyrail services can operate amid the expected downturn.
Some forecasts are suggesting additional snowfall that blanketed the region earlier this week could repeat itself this weekend, placing the spotlight on Everton’s home tie in the FA Cup. The Metro Mayor addressed these concerns on the radio on Wednesday.
He said: “We’re expecting bad weather at the weekend, Everton are playing at home, so we’re expecting some bad weather and we’ve got some contingencies in place.” Mr Rotheram’s comments came amid issues around the rail network this week.
On the Wirral, the Ellesmere Port and Chester lines were suspended from Rock Ferry on Tuesday. Meanwhile, all services on the Ormskirk line were also suspended during the key morning period.
This was the same for services on the Hunts Cross line. Merseyrail said the issues are down to ice on the tracks, with trains struggling to draw power from the third rail, which is the power source on the ground for the network.
The operator said that despite Network Rail, which manages the track infrastructure, treating all lines with anti-ice solution throughout the night and during the morning’s peak period – and implementing a “full range of preventative measures” – trains struggled to take power in several locations.
The Met Office has issued an updated yellow weather warning for rain, snow and strong winds in the North West as Storm Goretti approaches. Forecasters initially issued a yellow weather alert for Cheshire East, beginning at 6pm on Thursday, January 8 and lasting until midday on Friday.
The warning start time has also been moved forward as the Met Office said there is some uncertainty over the exact track of Storm Goretti, which will influence the locations most likely to see disruptive snow.