Train services across Britain are facing disruption as soaring temperatures force Network Rail to impose speed restrictions for safety. South Western Railway (SWR) has warned that services across its entire network may be revised throughout Tuesday, with several afternoon and early evening services already cancelled.
Key routes affected include journeys between London Waterloo and Weymouth via Winchester, Southampton, and Bournemouth, as well as services connecting London Waterloo and Aldershot via Woking and Guildford. Some services between Exeter St Davids, Salisbury, and London Waterloo are now terminating at Basingstoke.
Compounding the travel chaos, a signalling failure at London Waterloo and a report of smoke between the station and Vauxhall have caused additional delays. National Rail Enquiries said Elizabeth line services between London Liverpool Street and Stratford are also disrupted.
LNER reported two speed restrictions on its routes, with services limited to 20mph on normally 125mph lines at St Neots, Cambridgeshire, and Tollerton, North Yorkshire. The operator is running more Azuma trains due to their better air conditioning. Great Northern said damage to overhead electric wires means it cannot run services between Cambridge and Kings Lynn.
Steel rails expand in heat, reaching up to 20C hotter than air temperature in direct sunshine, forcing trains to run slower to reduce the risk of buckled rails. Meanwhile, a section of the A143 road in Stanton, near Bury St Edmunds, has melted, with the highway authority applying sand and granite dust to prevent further damage.
The AA reported a 15% increase in breakdowns between Friday and Monday compared to the same period last year, with 34,124 callouts versus 29,602. Lee Morley, AA expert patrol, advised drivers not to ignore warning lights or rising temperature gauges, as overheating can escalate quickly.
