London Euston trains cut amid railway track ‘buckling’ fears during UK heatwave

Rail passengers travelling to and from London Euston have been warned of reduced train services as the UK prepares for an extreme heatwave.

From Tuesday to Thursday, a reduced timetable will apply to trains to and from London Euston during the period of intense heat.

“Passengers should expect disruption across the network,” said Network Rail.

Peak temperatures are expected to reach up to 40C in some parts of England and Wales in the coming days, the Met Office has said.

Network Rail told travellers to “only travel if absolutely necessary” on Wednesday and Thursday when the heat is at its most severe and to “expect the station to be extremely busy”.

The Met Office has issued a rare red weather warning for parts of the UK until 25 June, with forecasters saying that June’s all-time daily temperature record could be broken.

Trains will operate at reduced speeds on amended timetables, meaning “journeys will take longer and there is a heightened risk of delays, cancellations and last-minute alterations”, said Network Rail.

According to Xueyu Geng, a professor in engineering at the University of Warwick, “steel rail expands significantly in extreme heat: a 1C rise in temperature causes roughly 11mm of expansion per kilometre of track”.

Professor Geng added: “Rail is installed with a 'stress-free' temperature in mind, and when ambient and solar-radiation temperatures exceed that threshold, the track can buckle laterally, what the industry calls a 'sun kink'. This is why speed restrictions are imposed on the network during heatwaves; it is not a precaution, it is a structural necessity.”

Gary Walsh, director for Network Rail's West Coast South route, said: “With weather warnings in place across the country for extreme hot weather, services in and out of London Euston will be reduced this week.

“We strongly advise customers to plan ahead, check their journeys, and only travel if absolutely necessary on the hottest days. If you do need to travel, please allow extra time and carry water to stay cool.

“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.”

The railway operator added that the station has two new water fountains where passengers can fill their bottles for free to stay hydrated while travelling.

Read more: Trains cancelled as passengers warned to only travel ‘if necessary’ during extreme weather