A number of rail services operating in and out of London are recommending passengers not to travel on this week due to soaring temperatures.
With London gripped by a June heatwave, many other operators are advising passengers to travel earlier in the day to avoid the worst of the heat.
Red and amber weather warnings are in place for extreme heat, with the Met Office advising that temperatures are expected to remain high until at least Saturday, with highs of up to 38C.
National Rail has advised passengers on Thursday to “only travel if absolutely necessary,” and to check before travelling on Friday.
Many services have been cancelled ahead of the extreme heat, with Network Rail warning there would be “significant disruption” as it imposes speed restrictions to minimise the risk from heat-related issues such as buckled rails and sagging overhead electric wires.
Here is the advice from each key rail line serving London:
Avanti West Coast
Avanti has confirmed that they will be introducing temporary travel easements to support customers in completing their journeys more comfortably.
Fewer trains will be running on some routes on Thursday and Friday, and there’s a risk of further disruption on the rail network.
Tickets can be used at no extra cost on other Avanti services over the coming days.
c2c
c2c has already announced a number of cancellations, and has said that more delays and cancellations are possible due to the adverse weather conditions.
The operator has asked that passengers only travel if absolutely necessary, and also recommends traveling earlier in the day if possible.
Cancelled on Thursday include:
- 15:11 London Fenchurch Street to Southend Central
- 16:10 London Fenchurch Street to Pitsea
- 16:21 London Fenchurch Street to Pitsea
- 17:10 London Fenchurch Street to Grays
- 17:40 London Fenchurch Street to Grays
- 18:19 London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness
- 18:51 London Fenchurch Street to Grays
- 18:55 London Fenchurch Street to Shoeburyness
- 14:27 Thorpe Bay to London Fenchurch Street
- 16:35 Southend Central to London Fenchurch Street
- 17:17 Pitsea to London Fenchurch Street
- 17:32 Pitsea to London Fenchurch Street
- 17:57 Leigh-on-Sea to London Fenchurch Street
- 18:03 Grays to London Fenchurch Street
- 18:33 Grays to London Fenchurch Street
There is also a speed restriction due to high track temperatures between Benfleet and Pitsea, meaning these trains will run at a reduced speed and may be delayed by up to 20 minutes.
Chiltern Railways
Chiltern Railways will run an amended timetable on Thursday and Friday “to ensure the safe operation of the railway”, which may result in significant delays and very busy conditions.
The operator is also strongly advising passengers to avoid travelling if possible.
Fewer than 50% of the normal service will run between Birmingham and London Marylebone, between Oxford and London Marylebone, and between Aylesbury and London Marylebone (via Amersham).
Tickets booked for this week can be used to travel on any date up to and including Tuesday June 30 at no extra cost.
East Midlands Railway
East Midlands Railway has introduced temporary travel easements to support customers, and has advised customers to travel before 12pm where temperatures are expected to be cooler.
All tickets for Thursday and Friday can be used at no extra cost to travel on earlier services on the same day, or on any service until Tuesday June 30.
If you no longer wish to travel, you can claim a full refund from your point of purchase.
Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway (GWR) is advising customers to only travel if necessary on Thursday and Friday.
The operator said that speed restrictions mean it will be forced to run fewer services than usual and journey times will be extended.
Trains from London Paddington to Exeter St Davids, Plymouth and Penzance, Bristol Temple Meads, Cardiff Central / Swansea and Worcester and Hereford will be reduced to one per hour.
GWR will also be running an amended timetable between Newbury / Didcot Parkway and London Paddington with services being revised to terminate at Reading, or to run non-stop between Reading and London Paddington.
Tickets can be used at no extra cost on Elizabeth line services between Reading and London Paddington, or on GWR services between Reading and London Paddington.
London Northwestern Railway
London Northwestern Railway is advising to only travel if it is essential on Thursday and Friday.
A reduced service will be in operation across the whole London Northwestern Railway network on both days.
One train per hour will run between Birmingham New Street, Northampton and London Euston, while two trains per hour will run between Milton Keynes Central and London Euston, with additional cancellations also likely on this route.
Services that start and terminate at Tring will be cancelled.
Tickets can be used to travel on any day up until Tuesday 30 June if preferred.
LNER
LNER is strongly recommending passengers to not travel across the LNER route this week.
Those with tickets for Thursday or Friday can use them for free of charge until Tuesday June 30.
New seat reservations can be booked free of charge.
South Western Railway
Customers using South Western Railway services have been advised to only travel if absolutely necessary on Thursday and Friday.
On both days, fewer trains will be running across the network, and trains that do run are expected to be busier and journey times will likely be longer than usual.
Tickets for all three days can be used free of charge until Tuesday June 30.
Southern
Trains which usually run between East Croydon and Watford Junction in either direction will be cancelled on both Thursday and Friday afternoons - affecting all trains 12pm until the end of each day.
Imperial Wharf, West Brompton, Kensington (Olympia), Shepherd's Bush, Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone and Watford Junction will not be served by Southern trains.
People travelling to or from these stations after 12pm can use their ticket to travel at no extra cost on a number of other services.
Southeastern
Southeastern passengers have been advised to only travel if absolutely necessary on Thursday and Friday.
Daily ticket holders can apply for a fee refund if they decided not to travel on Tuesday or Wednesday, or if they wish not to travel on Thursday or Friday.
Heathrow Express
The Heathrow Express is running at a reduced service on Thursday due to the severe weather.
Train will only depart at:
- XX:25 and XX:55 past the hour from London Paddington
- XX:27 and XX:57 past the hour at Heathrow Terminal 5
- XX:02 and XX:32 past the hour at Heathrow Terminal 2 & 3
Gatwick Express
Gatwick Express services between London Victoria and Brighton will be suspended from early afternoon until the end of service on Thursday.
The last services to run in each direction are the12:29 from London Victoria towards Brighton, and the 12:39 Brighton towards London Victoria.
