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Thursday 25 Jun 2026

Euston passengers issued 'essential travel' warning as extreme heat continues

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Passengers travelling into and out of London Euston station should expect disruption in the coming days and only travel if essential today and tomorrow (25 and 26 June).

It comes as temperatures across London and southern parts of England are forecast to rise as high as 36°C and could average in the mid-30s.

Passengers have already been issued with an 'essential travel' warning covering yesterday and today (Wednesday 24 and Thursday 25 June) but this has now been extended until tomorrow (Friday 26 June).

The Met Office has issued a rare red extreme heat warning for today, with temperature records for June in the UK already broken. A further amber heat warning is in place tomorrow and stretches into Saturday in eastern areas.

Rail services will continue to run, but passengers should expect disruption across the network.

For safety reasons, trains will operate at reduced speeds and to amended timetables, meaning journeys will take longer and there is a heightened risk of delays, cancellations and last-minute alterations.

Gary Walsh, director for Network Rail's West Coast South route, said: “Passengers should only travel during these extremely hot periods if it is essential.

“If you do need to travel, please allow extra time and carry water to stay cool. We strongly advise customers to plan ahead and check their journeys.

“We're working closely with our train operator partners to protect the reliability of the railway during the extreme heat. This includes running trains at slower speeds at some locations to keep people and our infrastructure safe."

Chris Liptrot, operations director at Avanti West Coast, said: "We'll be operating an amended timetable on Friday 26 June as a result of the extreme heat weather warnings issued across England and Wales by the Met Office. 

“We’ve also relaxed ticket restrictions and recommend customers making journeys with us travel earlier in the day when temperatures are forecast to be cooler. Any customers who no longer wish to travel due to the weather can request a refund via their point of purchase.”

Jonny Wiseman, customer experience and commercial director for London Northwestern Railway, said: “With extremely high temperatures forecast over the coming days we will be running a significantly reduced service across our network. We advise our customers to check before travelling this week and to only travel on Thursday and Friday if their journey is essential.”

London Euston has two new water fountains where passengers can fill their bottles for free to keep hydrated while on the move. The station's water fountains are located near the entrance to platforms 1-3.

Passengers are advised to check before they travel. More information is available via www.nationalrail.co.uk.