General Travel Update 1.30pm Thursday 5 December

Winds are expected to ease from mid-afternoon. Buses Almost all bus routes in Tyne and Wear are operating but with delays as drivers take extra care in today’s storm winds, and because of traffic. Redheugh Bridge has now re-opened but delays still affecting routes between Newcastle and Metrocentre. R6 at Barlow, Winlaton, diverted by road closure – telegraph pole blocking road Stagecoach South Shields buses are not serving Market Place for safety reasons. All routes turning at Coronation Street, by Asda. 12/12A is missing Mile End Road, South Shields Arriva 2 unable to serve Red House Farm, Bedlington. 24 from Durham missing Haswell Village due to a road closure for a fallen Telegraph pole. 43 diverted from Ushaw Moor to Ushaw Colledge then to Quebec Bank then Esh Winning, due to fallen tree at Flass Terrace. Go North East 34/34A unable to serve Garden Farm Estate due to a fallen tree causing an obstruction. 74, 687 & 688 - Station Road Hexham closed, so services missing the station. Road blocked between Ockwood and Stagshaw Roundabout. Buses diverting via the A68. X30 is terminating at Burnhope due to a road closure in Lanchester. X31 is terminating at Maiden Law, same reason. Metro Tyne and Wear Metro is suspended between Tynemouth and North Shields while masonry fallen onto the line is removed and a structure made safe. Arriva bus 306 is accepting Metro tickets between the two stations. This is expected to be resolved before the evening peak. Rail National rail trains are cancelled between Newcastle and Edinburgh, and all services in Scotland have been suspended. All national rail train services in the region are operating to a 50mph speed limit with delays and cancellations as a result. Latest: http://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service_disruptions/today.html Ferry Normal