Commuters stranded as snow brings many workplaces to a standstill

Thousands of commuters were left stranded today as heavy snowfall caused widespread travel delays and rail track closures.

Major motorways including the M25 came to a complete standstill, airports were closed and some of the UK’s busiest train services were cancelled because of worst layers of snow in six years.

And the worst is still to come, according to Met Office forecasters, who expect heavy snow to prevail later today and tomorrow – bringing further travel woes.

The capital practically came to halt as all public transport buses were suspended during London’s rush hour, and most of London’s Tube lines suffered heavy disruptions or cancellations.

Even a fleet of snow ploughs working to clear tracks could not prevent all trains coming in and out of the South East of England being cancelled or severeley disrupted.

The North Downs and Pennines bore the brunt of the overnight blizzards with at least 10 inches in many places. Some areas in Kent, Surrey and Sussex saw up to six inches of snow, with the rest of the country suffering about four inches of fall on average.

Customers at Victoria Station, one of the country’s busiest, were left abandoned as departure boards displayed no trains, or any sign rail services would be up and running.

A statement on British Airways’ website warned passengers that flights to and from all London airports, especially London City and Heathrow, were subject to delays and cancellations.

The majority of London Heathrow long-haul and short-hall flights are cancelled until 5pm today.