Rail passengers in the UK have been advised to travel only if absolutely essential during the upcoming extreme heatwave, with temperatures forecast to reach 37C across southern England and Wales and potentially 40C in the most affected areas. Network Rail issued the warning for Wednesday and Thursday, when a red extreme heat warning from the Met Office is in effect.
Intercity services most affected
Intercity trains from London Euston to Birmingham, Manchester and beyond are expected to be among the worst affected. Chiltern Railways, which operates between London and Birmingham, has already cancelled more than half of its normal timetable in anticipation of widespread disruption. Network Rail said speed restrictions would be imposed, as they were in 2022 when record temperatures led to the closure of two lines. Slowing down trains will mean most services are significantly delayed or cancelled, and no rail replacement bus services will be provided.
Safety concerns due to extreme heat
Extreme temperatures can cause steel rails to expand and buckle, requiring lower speeds for safety. Intense heat also increases the risk of overhead wires on electrified routes sagging or breaking, and could cause signalling and electrical systems to overheat and fail. Jake Kelly, deputy chief executive of Network Rail, said: “Extreme heat can have a significant impact on the railway, so safety must come first. We’re asking passengers to check before travelling on Tuesday, and only travel if absolutely essential on Wednesday and Thursday if they are going to, from or within the red warning zone as temperatures are expected to peak.”
Additional disruptions and operator responses
The heatwave disruption comes as services on the Midland mainline remain affected after a fatal collision on Friday between two EMR trains at Bedford, which killed a train driver and injured about 100 passengers. Investigations and repair work are expected to continue and limit services for the rest of the week. Michael Stewart, commercial director at Chiltern Railways, said: “We strongly advise you to avoid travelling over the next three days if possible. Trains are running at greatly reduced levels to ensure everyone’s safety, which means you may experience significant delays and very busy conditions.” LNER, which runs trains between London and Scotland on the east coast mainline, has also told passengers it “strongly recommends” they do not travel on Wednesday or Thursday. Both operators have said tickets booked for those days can be used on Friday instead, and other operators are expected to follow suit.
