Media centre

Wednesday 24 Jul 2019

Passengers advised to prepare for disruption as heatwave arrives

Region & Route:

Eastern: Anglia

With record temperatures in London predicted, we are advising passengers to expect significant disruption on the Great Eastern and West Anglia main lines on Thursday 25 July.

To keep trains running safely, speed restrictions are being put in place to reduce the risk of rails buckling in the heat, with fewer trains running across the network.  
 
This will affect passengers travelling into/out of London Liverpool Street. Speed restrictions of 60mph will be introduced during the hottest part of the day (between 12pm and 8pm) as slower trains apply lower forces on the track and reduce the likelihood of buckling.
 
We are also planning to minimise the impact that heavier freight trains have on the rails by not running freight services between 12-5pm tomorrow.

Greater Anglia, GTR Railway, London Overground, TfL Rail and c2c will be running a revised service. Many trains will be much busier than usual and it is likely to take longer to complete your journey.

Mark Budden, Anglia’s chief operating officer, said: “We are expecting unprecedented heat levels on the railway and keeping passengers safe and moving are our top priorities during this heatwave.

“Speed restrictions prevent our rails, that can be over 20 degrees higher than air temperatures, from buckling and enable us to keep a number of services running.
 
“I’m sorry about the disruption temporary speed restrictions will cause to passengers, but it is essential to keep everyone safe.”