Train passengers across large swathes of England are being strongly advised against non-essential travel this Friday, as sweltering extreme heat conditions threaten to cause widespread disruption to services.
Network Rail has issued a stark warning, urging commuters to use services within the Met Office’s red and amber zones only “if absolutely necessary”.
The red alert area, encompassing London and other parts of the South East, remains in effect until 9pm. Meanwhile, a broader amber zone, stretching from the south coast up to the North West and South Yorkshire, is active throughout the entire day.
South Western Railway (SWR), which operates routes to popular coastal destinations such as Bournemouth in Dorset and Hampshire, has specifically appealed to the public to avoid non-essential journeys to beaches.
Like many operators across Britain, SWR has implemented a reduced timetable for Friday, meaning any services that do run are anticipated to be busier than usual.
Stuart Meek, chief operating officer for SWR and Network Rail Wessex, said: “While it might be tempting to head down to the beach to enjoy the sunshine, we strongly urge customers to heed our advice to avoid getting stranded.”
Passengers with a ticket for Friday can use it at a different time or on another day up to and including Tuesday 30 June at no extra cost.
Alternatively they can obtain a refund without paying an admin fee.
Heat-related issues that can affect the railway include buckled rails, sagging overhead electric wires and lineside fires.
Steel rails can exceed 50C when the air temperature is 30C.
The Met Office said temperatures had reached 36.7C in Merryfield, Somerset, on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the AA said the number of callouts it received to broken-down vehicles on Thursday was 14% above usual levels.
Its road safety spokesman Tony Rich said this reflects “the continued pressure that high temperatures are placing on drivers and their vehicles”.
Incidents caused by vehicles overheating this week are up 54% compared with last week.
