Metro tells passengers: 'Go home early' to avoid evening rush-hour

Nexus says it expects its trains to be extremely busy, as extra passengers used services this morning to avoid the icy roads.

A spokesman said: "We are running a limited service, with trains approximately every 20 minutes to all destinations.

"We advise customers to travel home early or after the peak travel period this afternoon/evening where possible, as trains will be busy.

"Trains will run until the end of service."

Last night, thousands of drivers endured awful journeys home as some of the region's main routes became almost impassable due to heavy snow at rush-hour time.

This morning, commuters experienced lengthy delays as cars, vans, buses and lorries struggled to cope with fresh snow falling on frozen road surfaces.