RAIL commuters will face major disruption on Monday morning due to the severe weather forecast, with no train services running in Welwyn Hatfield overnight.

With gale force winds and heavy rain forecast across London and the South East of England tonight (Sunday) and Monday morning, services of all rail operators, including First Capital Connect (FCC), are expected to be severely disrupted and may be suspended on some routes.

FCC, which operates the Great Northern service through Knebworth, Welwyn North, Welwyn Garden City, Hatfield, Welham Green, Brookmans Park and Potters Bar, says no trains are likely to run before 9am on Monday at the earliest because of the weather.

The company also said that, weather permitting, a reduced service will operate from then, but this could be subject to delays.

A statement on the FCC website said: “The storm is expected to be strongest over night and is likely to lead to fallen trees and damage to buildings.

“In the interests of safety, Network Rail have advised us not to operate any trains on our network from midnight on Sunday until it is safe to do so, which is unlikely to be until after 9:00 on Monday morning.

“This measure will allow us to ensure that nothing is blocking the railway.”

The company added: “Once trains resume, we will be operating a revised timetable with far fewer services and with extended journey times.

“It is possible that some lines may remain closed. We advise you not to travel.

“If you do need to travel, please ensure you check the latest situation here [the FCC website] and consider using other modes of transport, although it is likely the road network will be similarly disrupted.

“We are very sorry for any disruption you do experience. We are working with Network Rail and all other rail operators to ensure that we deliver a safe service.”