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Monday 18 Jul 2022

Network Rail and train operators ‘upgrade’ travel advice to ‘DO NOT TRAVEL’

Region & Route:

National

Network Rail and train operators have this evening upgraded their travel advice for services heading north out of London into the weather warning ‘red zone’ to ‘DO NOT TRAVEL’.

With no services planned to run into or out of London King’s Cross all day tomorrow, there are also now no Thameslink or Great Northern services planned to run north of London all day with East Midlands Railway only running very limited services between Derby, Nottingham, Luton, Bedford and London, which will stop altogether during the hottest part of the day (lunchtime to 1900).

There will also be very limited and disrupted services running into and out of London Euston (Avanti West Coast and West Midlands Railway) and London Marylebone (Chilterns Railway).

Jake Kelly, Network Rail’s operations director, said:

“We have not taken the decision lightly to upgrade our travel advice to 'do not travel' if heading north out of London tomorrow. Please replan your journey as there will either be no services or very disrupted services. Any journey tomorrow within the Met Office’s ‘red-zone’ is going to be long, disrupted and uncomfortable so, with free refunds or ticket swaps available, our best advice is to stay home and replan your journey. Do not try to travel by rail within the ‘red-zone’ tomorrow.”

Services this afternoon and this evening were heavily impacted by the extreme heat today with buckled rails reported and overhead wire systems failing. A new record rail temperature of 62 degrees was recorded in Suffolk earlier today. It is expected that services will be even more disrupted tomorrow with higher temperatures predicted and no overnight lull in hot temperatures tonight to enable the railway infrastructure to adequately cool down. This will mean that speed restrictions will be introduced in the morning, rather than at lunchtime.