RAILWAY passengers are being warned to prepare for possible travel disruption as a cold snap is expected across Cumbria. 

The Met Office has issued a yellow weather warning for snow and ice across the county from 7pm tonight November 18.

The weather warning will be in place until 10am on Tuesday, November 19. However, harsh conditions are expected to continue throughout the week. 

Network Rail has said the snow, ice and freezing rain could impact travel in rural routes across the region.

Hundreds of staff are on standby and ready to defrost frozen points and signals to ensure railways continue to run safely.

Chris Pye, Network Rail’s North West route infrastructure director, said: "Snow and ice always pose a challenge at this time of the year, not only to the track, it can also obscure signals and causes branches to fall from trees on to the line.

"We work hard to ensure that points, which we use to direct trains on the track, don’t become compacted with snow and ice.

"We have teams who can monitor these remotely and further teams on standby ready to respond to heavy snow, should it be needed."

Network Rail is advising passengers to check their journey before travelling to the station to avoid any inconvenience.

Passengers can do this by visiting the National Rail website, www.nationalrail.co.uk.