[EN-LOG] Bad Weather Cripples UK Transport Industry

The icy weather gripping the UK has caused service disruptions across the transportation industry, with roads, railways and airports closing and re-opening - some with limitations - depending on the authorities' ability to deal with the situation.

Many roads throughout the UK are closed due to ice and snow. On others, driving conditions are poor and conditions are likely to deteriorate further.

Some rail services have been disrupted, with trains subject to short-notice delays and cancellations.

Following last month's fiasco when Eurostar had to suspend services after trains kept breaking down inside the Channel Tunnel, Eurostar will operate a restricted service until Sunday.

Airport operations have also been disrupted in the UK, France, the Irish Republic and the Netherlands.

Many flights were delayed or cancelled at Orly airport in Paris, Dublin airport and Amsterdam-Schiphol, as well as major UK airports.

The latest reports from the BBC indicate that Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton and Stansted airports are open, but delays and cancellations are expected.

The same applies to Southampton, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff airports.

Dublin airport remains open, but a number of flights were cancelled.

All roads within the port of Dublin have been gritted, and the port remains open with no disruption to services.

The Port of Felixstowe implemented a restriction on operations at the Container Park on Tuesday, but according to a BBC report, the port then closed due to high winds and snow, leaving truckers parked on the A14 highway approaches to the harbour.

The port re-opened for a time late yesterday afternoon, allowing some trucks to be processed.

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) said that the situation carries a high cost to the haulage industry, with truckers having serious problems in completing deliveries on time.

A number of companies have required additional resources (drivers and vehicles) to complete normal duties, and many operators find that their customers have closed until the weather improves.

Diversion costs due to road closures are also an issue, while those delivering to industrial sites face the additional safety hazards of side roads that have not been gritted because they do not rate sufficiently high on local authorities' list of priorities.

"But they're STILL delivering," says the RHA.

Source : EFT, 08.01.10.