Heat Related Disruption - 13 Aug 2026

[MontyP]

I think it hasn't turned out as bad as expected. 38 was forecast here yesterday, today it's noticeably not quite that hot and the forecast now has it topping out at 35. Still hot of course!

It was over 37C at several weather stations in the south east at 2pm, and temps usually top out between 3-4pm so still time for it to hit 38. I am guessing you are in Bletchley so probably slightly cooler (relatively speaking). Services down here seem to be coping fine so far.

 

[AndrewE]

We are now 7 weeks after mid summers day, and closer in time to the autumn equinox when sun passes back south over the equator.

So there is much less solar gain in mid August than end June or early July

so the lower sun will bounce off horizontal train and bus roofs, but it is worse for penetrating vertical windows and heating up external walls...

 

[Bletchleyite]

It was over 37C at several weather stations in the south east at 2pm, and temps usually top out between 3-4pm so still time for it to hit 38.

I went out (by car) at lunchtime and the car reckoned 35, though obviously hotter in direct sun.

I am guessing you are in Bletchley so probably slightly cooler (relatively speaking). Services down here seem to be coping fine so far.

How on earth did you guess that?

We were forecast 38 until today though.

Edit: I don't know where they're measuring specifically but National Grid are claiming Milton Keynes has the highest temperature in the UK today that they have recorded, on their Facebook page:

Checking in on Milton Keynes today, the warmest spot on our network, and in the UK.
How are you keeping cool?
Whether you've found a shaded spot, a cold drink, or a local Cool Space, there are welcoming places across Milton Keynes where you can sit, relax and cool down.

Find your nearest Cool Space: https://www.warmwelcome.uk/find-a-space?tags=cool%20space#map
Let us know in the comments, what's your favourite place to cool off in Milton Keynes?— in Milton Keynes.
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[chrisp37]

Lots of cancellations on the Cambrian coast both yesterday and today. Not good for a service that runs 1tp2h. Today, for example, it looks as though the second, fourth and fifth services towards Pwllheli have been cancelled. Cancellation of those two services leaves a six hour gap between trains. I had been under the (possibly incorrect) impression that cancellations on that line were quite rare. Hopefully it will improve from tomorrow as temperatures look set to fall again.

 

[yorkshirerail]

Lineside fire at Wakefield Westgate has being causing issues for several hours now

 

[800002]

Got a 168/0 last Sunday in 30 degrees heat and fairly sure one of the coaches had the heating on full blast, needless to say it was empty with everyone piling into the other 3 coaches which were slightly cooler

It can feel like the heating is on, but it wouldn't have been.
Believe once an AC unit reaches a critical mass parts just trip out and it goes into a shed mode which (as is implied) sheds the heating load. I think instead of being able to output cooler air flow, it's just higher temp air flow, which is why it feels like the heat is on.
I don't think there is a way to recover it, either, apart from the natural cooling processes.

I was on Adrian Shooter CBE, late this morning, and the back of the rear vehicle was warm, but as I went thru to get off the train the temperature differential within the carriage and other vehicles was very noticeable.

 

[Dave W]

There is a massive fire ongoing in a field that has spread to houses and businesses north of Hagley - the railway cuts straight through the affected area. I'm not on site but looks like everything has been stopped beyond Stourbridge.

 

[mickey]

I had been under the (possibly incorrect) impression that cancellations on that line were quite rare.

They are - Mach depot and TfW typically do everything they can to run the coast service, it’s one of the few left with a true public service ethos and they know how much it screws up local communities if they don’t. Which goes to show just how bad things must be there today, for such big disruption to have occurred.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I was on Adrian Shooter CBE, late this morning, and the back of the rear vehicle was warm, but as I went thru to get off the train the temperature differential within the carriage and other vehicles was very noticeable.

These units have two aircon units, one above each vestibule. This does mean you can end up with one end cooled and one end not.

Yesterday I did noticed that despite sitting in a vehicle that must have been upwards of 40 degrees (got me a table to myself though!) there did seem to be some air movement which made it bearable. When a 158's aircon conks out there doesn't seem to be much at all, so I guess the fans were still going, just blowing out ambient outside air.

They are - Mach depot and TfW typically do everything they can to run the coast service, it’s one of the few left with a true public service ethos and they know how much it screws up local communities if they don’t. Which goes to show just how bad things must be there today, for such big disruption to have occurred.

Mach is very old-railway, I've observed this recently in another thread - it has a bit of an "Oh Dr Beeching" feel about it - but if even they can't make it work things are bad as you say...

 

[chrisp37]

They are - Mach depot and TfW typically do everything they can to run the coast service, it’s one of the few left with a true public service ethos and they know how much it screws up local communities if they don’t. Which goes to show just how bad things must be there today, for such big disruption to have occurred.

That has certainly been my impression when I've used it (and from just monitoring its reliability over the years). It's one of my favourite lines in Britain. Here's hoping for a return to form very soon ...

 

[Dave W]

There is a massive fire ongoing in a field that has spread to houses and businesses north of Hagley - the railway cuts straight through the affected area. I'm not on site but looks like everything has been stopped beyond Stourbridge.

And now where I actually am - the MML adjacent to Grahame Park Way there's a member of staff looking forlornly at some broken looking OHLE. 700 at a stand in rear.

Roughly in line with the pedestrian under pass

 

[Class 317]

5th hottest day ever today for those posting that it's not exceptional heat. Very difficult conditions to work in outside and feel for those working and doing their best to keep the job going today.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 13 Aug 2026 ==

Having to travel across the south east to get to work to cover a different location I'm really appreciative of the efforts being made.

 

[Andrew888]

Lots of cancellations on the Cambrian coast both yesterday and today. Not good for a service that runs 1tp2h. Today, for example, it looks as though the second, fourth and fifth services towards Pwllheli have been cancelled. Cancellation of those two services leaves a six hour gap between trains. I had been under the (possibly incorrect) impression that cancellations on that line were quite rare. Hopefully it will improve from tomorrow as temperatures look set to fall again.

I drove through Mach an hour ago, and there were a lot of very annoyed-looking holiday makers toting large suitcases at the station entrance :/

If you're not a local, being given a list of bus services to use to make your way up the coast to your destination is not a great start to your holiday.(Or you can wait in the sun for a few hours for a train that may or may not run I guess.)

This is definitely a hot day, but it's currently 25° in Machynlleth, and, as I posted in another thread, the coast itself had a high temperature of 24°.

 

[londonmidland]

All lines blocked on the MML due to OLE damage in the Elstree area. No trains running to from St. Pancras at this time.

 

[Iskra]

Lineside fire at Wakefield Westgate has being causing issues for several hours now

Fire physically on the track I believe at Prison Sidings, chaos at Leeds this evening.

I managed to get a train out to Wakefield Kirkgate, but these trains are now extremely busy.

 

[Krokodil]

TfW:

No trains (158s) between Shrewsbury and Birmingham/Aberystwyth

No Mark IVs between Manchester and Cardiff

No trains between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog

--

The same for tomorrow (13th) too.

I happened to be in Llandudno Junction this afternoon. A large crowd of people (many with suitcases) trying to source their own taxis. TfW in their wisdom had booked a single replacement bus, to cover for a train which has more than double the capacity and is often full & standing, with the predictable result.

ok - but how is that different from any point in the last 40 years? Why is it now that this new and exciting excuse to give up running a service has been deployed?

Do TfW, GWR and Northern have these problems with class 150 trains and if not what are they doing that LNWR arent?

With 150s, it's worth having a look down at the radiator. If it's full of tree pollen it won't be very effective at keeping the engine cool.

CrossCountry aren't running anything between Cardiff and Birmingham

Situation normal there then...

 

[DarloRich]

They have to run to be full of pollen

 

[TPO]

TfW:

No trains (158s) between Shrewsbury and Birmingham/Aberystwyth

No Mark IVs between Manchester and Cardiff

No trains between Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog

--

The same for tomorrow (13th) too.

The whole of the service on the Heart of Wales Line was canned today. No replacement buses, just the whole service proactively cancelled.

If you live Llandeilo-Pontardulais there is (thankfully) a regular service bus to Swansea although it takes rather longer, but otherwise you're screwed. Not sure if it's just the heat in the cabs, or if they have the 15x fleet from HoWL covering diagrams that lost 197's to cover the withdrawn Mk4 sets.....

Poor show.

TPO

 

[londonmidland]

All lines blocked on the MML due to OLE damage in the Elstree area. No trains running to from St. Pancras at this time.

Conditions onboard stranded EMU trains without power are, as expected, deteriorating fast. Let's hope recovery is pronto, before passengers start self-evacuating.

A few comments from TL's X feed:

I'm on on of your northbound trains, stationary just south of Mill Hill. The air con has been turned off. There are no windows that can be opened. We are positioned in full sun. It is roasting in here. The train is fairly full and there are small children on board. You need to get this sorted quickly or you're going to have a medical emergency on your hands.

Someone will pull this emergency door release if you don’t let us off this stranded train at Brent Cross. No air con.

Wife is stuck on a train on the hottest day and thru have turned off the train and there is zero air con…. What’s happening to the people stuck as it cannot be healthy being in such hot conditions at rush hour

 

[GraphitProjekt]

Not sure if it's really heat related, but the GWML is in a rather poor shape with a loss of traction power in the London area (Kensal Green substation). So EL are running maybe 3 trains in total each way, and HEX up to 4 (2tph).

 

[Dave W]

Conditions onboard stranded EMU trains without power are, as expected, deteriorating fast. Let's hope recovery is pronto, before passengers start self-evacuating.

A few comments from TL's X feed:

There were police already on site at Grahame Park Way - I assume the stranded train mentioned in the first message is the one I saw.

 

[Segedunum]

Fire physically on the track I believe at Prison Sidings, chaos at Leeds this evening.

I managed to get a train out to Wakefield Kirkgate, but these trains are now extremely busy.

Yes, initially believed to be out then it continued to smoulder with subsequent damage found to infrastructure.

LNER are running via Hambleton where they can as well as diverting some services to York - with the remainder spinning at Doncaster.

 

[Iskra]

Yes, initially believed to be out then it continued to smoulder with subsequent damage found to infrastructure.

LNER are running via Hambleton where they can as well as diverting some services to York - with the remainder spinning at Doncaster.

Yes, LNER not too badly affected and seemed to get buses running fairly quickly.

I’ve seen at least one XC service avoid Wakefield Westgate via Oakenshaw Junction and Hare Park Junction.

 

[londonmidland]

All lines blocked on the MML due to OLE damage in the Elstree area. No trains running to from St. Pancras at this time.

CSL2 Black has now been declared. A DO NOT TRAVEL message has been put out, with there being no rail replacement being available.

 

[liamf656]

CSL2 Black has now been declared. A DO NOT TRAVEL message has been put out, with there being no rail replacement being available.

No more EMR trains will depart STP until tomorrow, apparently

 

[Iskra]

Yes, LNER not too badly affected and seemed to get buses running fairly quickly.

I’ve seen at least one XC service avoid Wakefield Westgate via Oakenshaw Junction and Hare Park Junction.

Trains now running through Wakefield Westgate again

 

[LLivery]

Conditions onboard stranded EMU trains without power are, as expected, deteriorating fast. Let's hope recovery is pronto, before passengers start self-evacuating.

A few comments from TL's X feed:

Building trains without openable windows is stupid. I don't care what the cost analysis says.

 

[Dave W]

My car was parked in the open at the RAF Museum all day without shade all day and reported a temperature of 43 degrees when I got in at 5pm - so a full train of people will get toasty quite quickly.

I saw the incident I described above just after. There may be another wire issue but there are three trains either side of the site I mentioned which haven't moved, and 9V48 has been stopped at Mill Hill Broadway since about half past 4 - I assume this is the offending train.

 

[allbarbarry]

Unsure if heated related but there are bad delays out of London this evening. Crowd control in place at Farringdon

 

[Saint66]

ECML coming out of London now affected by various and delays, including a signal failure near Welwyn.