Passengers are being urged to check their journeys before travelling due to the aftermath of Storm Lilian.

The storm has left fallen trees and high levels of surface water across the North West, causing delays and diversions on some rail services.

The Cumbrian Coast line has suffered flooding in some areas.

Paul Owen, North West operations director at Network Rail, said: "Our priority is to keep passengers and freight trains safely on the move, but due to the effects of Storm Lilian, some services are delayed or diverted while our specialist responses teams clear any blockages or flooding away from the tracks.

“We would like to thank passengers for their patience.

"Our advice for passengers travelling today (Friday, August 23) is to check before you travel, as some journeys may take longer.”

Fallen down trees have caused obstacles on the East Lancashire line between Blackburn and Burnley, the West Coast main line between Stoke and Manchester, and the Merseyrail network in North Wales into the Wirral.

While weather conditions have improved, the effects of Storm Lilian will continue to be felt throughout the day as rail workers carry out safety inspections and remove obstacles across the North West network.