Passengers urged to avoid non-essential travel amid record-breaking heat
Four train operators have advised passengers to travel only if absolutely necessary on Thursday and Friday as a heatwave pushes temperatures to a potential record of 38°C in London. The Met Office forecasts at least 36°C from 2pm to 6pm on Friday. The extreme heat puts significant strain on the railway, causing buckled rails, sagging overhead wires and lineside fires. Steel rails can exceed 50°C when air temperature is 30°C.
Network Rail and operators issue warnings
Jake Kelly, deputy chief executive of Network Rail, said: “We know how important it is for people to get where they need to be, but this spell of very hot weather will make journeys more challenging across the network. Very high temperatures, like we are seeing in Great Britain and across parts of Europe, put significant strain on the railway, so our priority is to keep passengers safe while keeping services running.” He urged passengers to “think carefully about their plans and only travel if it’s absolutely necessary in the areas most affected by the extremely high temperatures.”
Southern services north of London cancelled
Southern trains running between East Croydon and Watford Junction in either direction will be cancelled from 12pm until end of day on Thursday 25 June and Friday 26 June. Stations not served include Imperial Wharf, West Brompton, Kensington (Olympia), Shepherds Bush, Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone, and Watford Junction.
Southern services south of London suspended
From 10am on both days, Brighton to Southampton Central services are cancelled. Passengers must travel to Portsmouth & Southsea and change for South Western Railway or Great Western Railway to Southampton Central. Barnham to Bognor Regis shuttle services are cancelled; alternative Southern services are available. London Victoria to Bognor Regis / Portsmouth & Southsea services will only run to Bognor Regis. Gatwick Express services between London Victoria and Brighton are suspended from early afternoon, with last services at 12:29 from Victoria and 12:39 from Brighton.
Thameslink, Great Northern and other routes affected
Thameslink/Great Northern services between King's Lynn and London King's Cross will run only between King's Lynn and Cambridge on Thursday and Friday. Reduced commuter peak services are possible, with a speed restriction between Haywards Heath and East Croydon.
Warning against seaside travel on Friday
South Western Railway, serving coastal destinations like Bournemouth, extended its essential-only travel advice to Friday. Stuart Meek, chief operating officer for SWR and Network Rail Wessex, said: “We’re sorry that we must extend our advice to only travel if essential to Friday… While it might be tempting to head down to the beach to enjoy the sunshine, we strongly urge customers to heed our advice to avoid getting stranded.”
Other operators reduce services
Chiltern Railway is running fewer than half its usual services between Wednesday and Friday, affecting London Marylebone to Birmingham, Oxford and Aylesbury via Amersham. Avanti West Coast has cut one train per hour on Birmingham, Liverpool and Manchester routes from Tuesday to Friday. LNER strongly recommends not travelling on Thursday or Friday, and to check updates for Saturday. Many operators have eased ticket restrictions for refunds or alternative dates.
RAC reports 20% rise in breakdowns
The RAC said call-outs for broken down vehicles on Wednesday were a fifth higher than usual. RAC road safety spokesperson Rod Dennis said: “London, Essex, Kent and Sussex all saw the biggest increases in vehicles failing in the hot weather. Top faults included tyres – with blowouts more common in the heat as pressure in the rubber builds – batteries and overheated engines. Today is looking just as busy as temperatures climb even higher. Anyone who can delay non-essential trips until the weather starts to cool should do so.”
