Southern and Thameslink warn of disruption next week amid heatwave

Temperatures are set to soar to 40C in parts of southern England at the start of next week, with the Met Office issuing a red warning for extreme heat in London and parts of central England. An amber warning remains in place for the South Coast.

Thameslink services will be running a significantly reduced service across all routes with speed restrictions in place. Trains that do run are expected to be busy and travel is expected to be disrupted with a high chance of incidents that could cause cancellations.

Cancellations are also expected on Southern services due to speed restrictions and further disruption is highly likely over both days.

Gatwick Express services will be suspended on Monday and Tuesday as temperatures of 40C are expected in parts of southern England

Gatwick Express services will be suspended, but Southern trains will run in their place making extra stops.

Angie Doll, chief operating officer at Govia Thameslink Railway which operates all three services, urged passengers to think about their options and to travel only “if absolutely necessary” at the start of next week.

She said: “With the Met Office issuing warnings for extreme heat, speed restrictions are being put in place across our network to keep trains and passengers safe.

“This means we’ll have far fewer services for people to catch and there will also be a very real risk of disruption.

“Even if you are able to travel in the morning, you may need to consider alternative ways to get home as a result.”

Network Rail will have response teams to mitigate the impact of the extreme heat where possible.

Jake Kelly, Network Rail’s system operator group director, said: “Rail passengers in England and Wales should only travel if necessary on Monday and Tuesday as there will be delays and cancellations on train services due to the unprecedented heat we’re expecting.

“The wellbeing of our passengers is our first priority so we’re asking all passengers to decide to travel to take time to prepare before leaving the house.

“Journeys will take significantly longer and delays are likely as speed restrictions are introduced to keep passengers and railway staff safe, so make sure to allow considerably more time to complete your journey and be prepared for very hot conditions”.