London’s rail network is being hit hard as the latest heatwave pushes temperatures towards 35C.
In fact, several train operators cancelling services or urging passengers to travel only if their journey is truly necessary. Soaring heat can cause rails to buckle and overhead wires to sag, and with steel rails capable of exceeding 50C even when the air itself is a more modest 30C, operators are having to slow services down or pull them from the timetable entirely to keep everyone safe.
Here’s a full breakdown of which train companies are affected and what it means if you’re planning to travel over the next couple of days.
The heat is causing major disruption.
It isn’t just uncomfortable carriages causing the chaos, it’s the tracks themselves. Extreme heat makes steel rails expand and can cause them to bend out of shape, while overhead wires can sag low enough to cause serious problems for trains running underneath them.
On top of that, lineside fires become a real risk during prolonged dry heat, adding yet another reason for operators to run services more cautiously than usual. London officially entered heatwave conditions on Monday evening after three days running above 28C, and the heat has only kept building since.
How hot is it actually getting?
The capital is expected to see highs of around 34C on both Thursday and Friday, making this one of the more intense heatwaves of the summer so far. Some train companies have responded by warning passengers outright to travel only if essential, and to double check their full journey before setting off. With temperatures this high, even a normally reliable route can end up delayed or cancelled at short notice, so it’s worth building in extra time either way.
Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway is running services directly between Reading and London Paddington in both directions between 9.30am and 9pm on Thursday. Certain trains between Paddington and Oxford will not be running at all because of the heat.
Normally, the operator runs four trains an hour between Paddington and Oxford, but every service leaving Oxford on the hour, along with every service leaving Paddington at 23 minutes past the hour, has been cancelled for Thursday. Anyone affected can use their ticket on an earlier or later service free of charge, and tickets will also be accepted on CrossCountry services between Banbury, Oxford and Reading from 2pm onwards. Friday’s service level hasn’t been confirmed yet, so passengers are being urged to only travel if it’s essential.
East Midlands Railway
East Midlands Railway is advising customers to only travel on Thursday or Friday if their journey genuinely can’t be avoided. The operator says it’s dealing with heat related issues affecting some of its trains, with certain units having to be pulled out of service altogether.
This means trains across various routes may be cancelled outright or run to a revised timetable, including some services on the Intercity route to and from London St Pancras. Anyone holding a ticket for Thursday or Friday can use it instead on any EMR service between Saturday 11 July and Tuesday 14 July, and those who’d rather not travel at all can get a full refund with no fee attached. Travelling before midday is recommended where possible, since temperatures tend to be a little cooler earlier in the day.
c2c
c2c has confirmed a long list of services that won’t be running on either Thursday or Friday because of the heat. Cancelled trains include the 05:24 from Grays to London Fenchurch Street, the 05:57 from Shoeburyness to Fenchurch Street, and the 07:21 from Leigh-on-Sea to Fenchurch Street.
Also affected are the 07:35 from Pitsea to Fenchurch Street, the 06:08 from Fenchurch Street to Pitsea, and the 07:12 from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness, alongside a further string of services throughout the afternoon and early evening including trains between Fenchurch Street, Grays, Shoeburyness and Pitsea right up until the 19:07 from Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness. Given the sheer number of services affected, anyone travelling with c2c on Thursday or Friday should check their exact train before heading to the station.
London Northwestern Railway
London Northwestern Railway is also facing heat related issues affecting a number of its train services. Buses are replacing trains between Bletchley and Bedford from around 12.45pm until the end of the day. Anyone relying on this route should expect the replacement buses to be busier than usual, so it’s worth building in extra time to avoid missing onward connections.
South Western Railway
South Western Railway says it expects some of its services to be affected by the hot weather today. Despite this, the operator believes it will still be able to run a broadly normal service across its network. Even so, passengers are being advised to check their full journey before setting off, just in case last minute changes crop up as the heat continues to climb.
Great Northern and Thameslink
A number of Great Northern and Thameslink routes are being cancelled on Thursday due to a shortage of available trains, caused by extra safety inspections taking place across the network. This disruption is expected to continue for the rest of the day.
As a result, there will be a reduced service between Peterborough and Horsham, and between Bedford and both Three Bridges and Brighton, while services between Cambridge and Brighton have been suspended entirely. It isn’t yet clear whether these particular inspections are directly linked to the heatwave itself.
What to do if you’re travelling this week
With so many operators affected in different ways, the safest bet is to check your specific journey directly with the relevant train company before setting off, rather than assuming your usual service will run as normal. Where possible, travelling earlier in the day tends to mean fewer heat related problems, since temperatures are lower and rails haven’t had as long to heat up.
If your journey isn’t essential, several operators are actively encouraging passengers to simply avoid travelling until the heat eases off, and many are offering free ticket flexibility or refunds for anyone who’d rather wait it out. It’s a small inconvenience compared to getting stuck on a delayed or cancelled service in the middle of a 34C afternoon.
