Delays and cancellations as heatwave wreaks havoc on rail services

Southern Rail said it would operate a reduced service on some routes, increasing journey times, and advised passengers to “avoid travelling wherever possible”.

A spokesman said: “Speed restrictions are in place on some routes because of the high track temperatures.

“Most of the railway will be restricted to a top speed of 60mph during the bulk of the day.

“This may cause delays and cancellations to journeys across the whole Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink networks until the end of the day.”

This will result in busier trains and passengers are being told to “allow extra time for their journeys”.

The spokesman said: “Do expect trains to be delayed during their journey, please plan extra time for critical journeys.

“You are also advised to carry a bottle of water with you, and not to board a train if you feel unwell.”

Services between London, Gatwick Airport and Brighton will be affected by the speed restrictions.

The spokesman said: “A reduced service will operate on Gatwick Express, with services starting and terminating at Gatwick Airport.

“You may need to use Southern or Thameslink to complete your journey.”

Delays are more likely to occur "if the installation of the rails has recently occurred" as "various components may still be settling down and may be more prone to issues".

Since September 2018 Brighton Main Line has seen improvement works "to tackle delay hotspots and boost the reliability of the railway in the south east".

A Southern Rail spokesman said: "

"Track temperatures can reach beyond 50C in direct sunlight during the summer months. If trains ran at normal speeds at some locations, it would put too much stress on the rails, which are already under pressure due to metal expansion in the hot weather.

"This situation typically occurs in locations where intensive track maintenance is already needed, and new (or repaired) rails are in place. Each piece of rail is adjusted to accommodate as wide a range of temperatures as possible, but if the installation of the rails has recently occurred, various components may still be settling down and may be more prone to issues.

"Network Rail are responsible for the maintenance and operation of railway tracks and associated equipment. They have specialist staff in place to monitor the temperatures of the rails and ensure the correct speed restrictions are applied."

At 8am this morning the tracks between Brighton and Hove had already reached a temperature of 30C.

By 10.47am the track's temperature had risen to 40.7C.