Heat related disruption 8 July 2026 onwards

[sbrignall72]

The usual cancellations on TfW today, all due to "severe weather": Ebbw Vale to Newport, Llandudno Junction to Blaenau Ffestiniog, Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth, Wolverhampton to Birmingham International, Wrexham to Chester.

TfW provides the spectacularly unhelpful advice that "customers are advised to travel on the next available service where possible".

The UK's rail industry isn't fit for purpose. A combination of long-term lack of investment, ongoing lack of maintenance and the day-to-day preference of staff to just throw in the towel rather than at least try to provide a service for their customers has brought the network to its knees simply because it's summer.

Totally agree with your comment regarding the UK's rail industry isn't fit for purpose. Something needs to be done to the infrastructure and the trains. If the TOCs start running a reduced service then the government will make this the standard service and implement cost cutting measures with reduced staff!!!

 

[pokemonsuper9]

I think this would fall under the category of "head related", so replying here rather than the Stratford lineside fire thread.

Very smokey from a fire or fires on the Pennines crossing from Huddersfield back to Manchester - particularly short of Stalybridge. Hoping those don't reach the lines, and of course property and wildlife.

Yes, news reporting several wildfires in the Peak District.

sky - Peak District blaze now major incident as 'exceptional' wildfire risk to spread - A wildfire in the Peak District has been declared a major incident after the situation escalated due to high winds.
BBC - Major incident declared over large moorland wildfire - The blaze on Tintwistle Moor in Glossop, Derbyshire, started on 24 June and has affected about 260 hectares (642 acres) of moorland and woodland.

Unlike North America where Google Maps has an overlay for it, I can't seem to find any good maps for the UK so not sure how many or how close they are to the railway.

 

[speedy1]

Arsonists who used fireworks to set alight Dovestones.

Or the one further away Tintwhistle (sp? and not sure of cause)

 

[Howardh]

I think this would fall under the category of "head related", so replying here rather than the Stratford lineside fire thread.


Yes, news reporting several wildfires in the Peak District.
Unlike North America where Google Maps has an overlay for it, I can't seem to find any good maps for the UK so not sure how many or how close they are to the railway.

Yes, I think that's where I meant to have it posted and had a few threads open at the same time!

 

[D1537]

Arsonists who used fireworks to set alight Dovestones.

A 20-year-old woman is in custody on suspicion of arson.

Edit: two more were arrested on Thursday

GMP statement(s)

Link here

"our Neighbourhood Policing Team have this afternoon arrested a 20-year-old woman on suspicion of arson".

"Officers investigating the ongoing moorland fires at Dovestones Reservoir which began on Saturday 11 July 2026, have made two further arrests."

 

[Poolie]

Fearing the worst with doom laden forecasts and messages on forums, I bravely went ahead on a long booked trip with my daughter and grandson.
Hartlepool - Kings Cross GC, tube, Waterloo - Southampton on Friday. Return Sunday.
Thankfully, absolutely no issues. All on time and air con working. Tube was awful, but thankfully not long journeys.

 

[Peterthegreat]

Northern have cancelled 20 services due to train faults from 17.00 onwards tonight.
Interestingly all these cancellations are in South and West Yorkshire including 2/3rds of the Sheffield to Adwick services.
As usual Northern do nothing to alleviate things.

Pathetic.

 

[Mattplans]

Northern have cancelled 20 services due to train faults from 17.00 onwards tonight.

I'd be interested to know what the faults are for some of these cancellations. Especially for the many Southeastern services worked by Networkers that have been cancelled in the past 2 weeks. I have a feeling it may be driver's ac not functioning more than half the time rather than a mechanical fault with the train, which some might be led to believe by the cancellation reason.

 

[Iskra]

I've done a lot of travelling in the last week and I've barely had an issue, so overall I've been impressed by how the railway has coped.

Friday: Leeds-Warrington BQ-Glasgow-Neilston and return during the peak heat. All trains going ran to time and had working AC. Pendo had a slight delay on the return possibly due to the earlier train fire at Birmingham.
Sunday: Meadowhall-Chesterfield and return, okay not the biggest journey but all went well.
Monday: Meadowhall-Manchester on the Hope Valley Stopper and then return on TP, the only issue being that the TP service was busy due to EMR not running, but I still got a seat.
Today: Meadowhall-Manchester and return, TP both ways- nice journeys in both directions.

 

[BJames]

Statement from London Fire Brigade regarding the large Walthamstow fire. Confirms that the railway embankment is involved.



Source: https://www.london-fire.gov.uk/incidents/2026/july/fire-walthamstow/

On this - although still disruption on the Weaver line, I notice they are running a shuttle between Liverpool Street and Walthamstow Central. It looks like it's just being operated with one train, and as I can't see unit allocations on RTT for this, I was curious as to whether they'd been able to find 2x 710 or whether it was being operated as a single 4 car unit. On Tiger it appears to be showing as 5 carriages:


Is this correct? Assuming this means a 5 car 710 is operating between Walthamstow and Liverpool Street, possibly the first time this has happened?

 

[Peterthegreat]

I'd be interested to know what the faults are for some of these cancellations. Especially for the many Southeastern services worked by Networkers that have been cancelled in the past 2 weeks. I have a feeling it may be driver's ac not functioning more than half the time rather than a mechanical fault with the train, which some might be led to believe by the cancellation reason.

I thought it might be something to do with it being too hot for the staff.
However
1) despite both the east and west sides having a similar mixture of stock there is a disparity with virtually no cancellations in the West and dozens in the East.
2) on board comfort should not have been a problem this morning yet Northern were at least seven sets short on the eastern side leading to yet more cancelled trains.
As if midday around 50 trains are showing cancelled for the rest of the day. The vast majority in Yorkshire.

 

[tumbles]

Stuck at Worcester Parkway on the 1V56 Glasgow > Plymouth Cross Country Service. Driver informing us being held due to a fire between here and Glos Yard Junction - reason given was fire jclose to trackside being held till under control. Arrived at Bristol Parkway some 42 minutes late. Did well to arrive around 25 minutes late to Plymouth given the overall service had 2 x 40+ minute delays! https://www.realtimetrains.co.uk/service/gb-nr:G01148/2026-07-15/detailed

 

[GordonT]

Fallen tree blocking the WCML between Lancaster and Preston with OLE damage.

Edit: Apologies, I neglected to quote my source for this. Link is shown below and the updated information within the quotes confirms that the incident is now cleared.

https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/service-disruptions/preston-20260715/

Route(s) affected
Avanti West Coast between London Euston and Glasgow Central / Edinburgh
Northern between Manchester Airport / Manchester Victoria / Preston and Barrow-in-Furness and also between Manchester Airport and Windermere / Corkickle
TransPennine Express between Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central / Edinburgh and also between Liverpool Lime Street and Oxenholme Lake District / Glasgow Central

Description
Services are now running as scheduled following damage to the overhead electric wires between Preston and Lancaster.

 

[pnepaul]

Fallen tree blocking the WCML between Lancaster and Preston with OLE damage.

Trains seem to be moving on the Up line. 9S60 - 1040 Euston to Glasgow looks to be stuck just south of the Barton& Broughton loop, so nothing moving on the Down line at the moment.
Just as I posted 9S60 is on the move lol!

 

[nlogax]

Trains seem to be moving on the Up line. 9S60 - 1040 Euston to Glasgow looks to be stuck just south of the Barton& Broughton loop, so nothing moving on the Down line at the moment.
Just as I posted 9S60 is on the move lol!

Yep, I'm currently on 1M13 and we were sat at Lancaster for approaching forty minutes before finally leaving. Reckon ETA into Euston will be nearer to fifty minutes late.

Edit: should have added - actually pretty impressive how relatively little disruption from what sounded like a major all-lines issue was caused at least on the southbound side.

 

[Mattplans]

Trackside fire at Acton Central has suspended the Mildmay

 

[MattyN67856]

More to do with their ongoing problems with 222s and 810s than the forecasted weather?

Looks like it… the hot weather timetable looks permanent for now

A step up in EMR’s Intercity timetable | EMR

www.eastmidlandsrailway.co.uk

From Monday 20 July, we’ll be introducing a temporary reduced Intercity timetable to provide a more consistent and reliable service while the performance and reliability issues affecting our trains are addressed.

The introduction of the new Class 810 fleet was designed to provide a smooth transition from the Class 222 fleet, with a significant period where both fleets would operate alongside one another under the maintenance of Hitachi Rail.

However, a three-year delay in the first Class 810 trains coming into service, together with ongoing service reliability issues across both fleets, has significantly impacted EMR’s ability to run a reliable Intercity service.

We know this change will be disappointing, but introducing a temporary timetable will allow us to provide a more dependable service while we continue to work with Hitachi Rail to make the improvements needed as quickly as possible.

If your booked service is affected, you can travel on up to two earlier or two later EMR services, or, if you decide not to travel, you can claim a full refund.

 

[TheManOnThe172]

What a hapless outfit. They shorten the 1902 to Derby and Sheffield, but leave the ticket rules so that, despite the reduction in capacity, it is still the first offpeak service after the long afternoon blackout, and then flag it as the only northbound service qualifying for the flag "Services that are expected to be the busiest."

If it really is inevitable that the 1902 has to be shorter, then EMR need to modify their ticket rules so that it doesn't suffer the artificial extra demand that comes from being the first train after the blackout.

 

[Teapot42]

If it really is inevitable that the 1902 has to be shorter, then EMR need to modify their ticket rules so that it doesn't suffer the artificial extra demand that comes from being the first train after the blackout.

The wording isn't totally clear, but I think that in effect they have. They say:
'If your booked service is affected, you can travel on up to two earlier or two later EMR services'

The services which are reduced from 10 cars to 5 are listed under affected services, so by a strict reading that means anyone booked on the 1902 *can* use the 18:02 or 18:32.

I did ask but didn't get a clear answer how this works with open tickets which aren't booked on anything. I guess it depends how strictly the guards have been told to interpret the rules...
'Yes, sir, I was intending to use the 1902, honest'.

 

[Kite159]

The wording isn't totally clear, but I think that in effect they have. They say:
'If your booked service is affected, you can travel on up to two earlier or two later EMR services'

The services which are reduced from 10 cars to 5 are listed under affected services, so by a strict reading that means anyone booked on the 1902 *can* use the 18:02 or 18:32.

I did ask but didn't get a clear answer how this works with open tickets which aren't booked on anything. I guess it depends how strictly the guards have been told to interpret the rules...
'Yes, sir, I was intending to use the 1902, honest'.

Or more likely how strictly the gateline staff have been told to interpret the rules regarding flexible tickets, depending how they set them up (i.e. rejecting all off-peak tickets for manual inspection)

 

[Teapot42]

Or more likely how strictly the gateline staff have been told to interpret the rules regarding flexible tickets, depending how they set them up (i.e. rejecting all off-peak tickets for manual inspection)

It was notable last weekend that going down we had to be manually let through the gate at St Pancras, but got through no problem at Kings Cross on the way back. EMR unable to program their own gates to accept tickets they'd made valid (and only had one member of staff on to deal with the significant queue that resulted), while an operator with agreed validity had no issues.