Heat Related Disruption - 13 Aug 2026

[londonmidland]

There are reports of a fire in Totley Tunnel, located between Sheffield and Stockport. All lines blocked.

EMR tweet:

#EMRUpdate: Trains cannot run between Stockport and Chesterfield due to a fire next to the track.

Network Rail and the emergency services are investigating further.

 

[rmHawk765]

Rail Head Treatment incl. Painting Train anyone? It's probably one of the easiest mitigations that can be deployed within weeks, though if there are any further technical implications I'd be glad to know. AIUI the only potentially major issue is interference with track circuits but I'm sure there are types of paint that can avoid this?

 

[tumbledown]

There are reports of a fire in Totley Tunnel, located between Sheffield and Stockport. All lines blocked.

EMR tweet:

Wires crossed maybe? National Rail say "safety inspection of track between Grindleford and Sheffield".

 

[londonmidland]

Wires crossed maybe? National Rail say "safety inspection of track between Grindleford and Sheffield".

I can’t post the sources on a public forum but there’s smoke within Totley tunnel. The fire is trying to be identified.

I think NRE have just gone for the ‘safe’ option regarding the reasoning.

 

[Killingworth]

I've created a new thread for the fire in Totley Tunnel; https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/report-of-fire-in-totley-tunnel.305953/

Smoke seems to be dispersing.

 

[chrisp37]

There seem to be a large number (more than usual) of cancellations at the moment on various lines due to a safety inspection of the track. North Downs line, GN out of Moorgate for example. Assume this is heat related and/or an ultra cautious attitude given the recent derailments?

 

[AndrewE]

There seem to be a large number (more than usual) of cancellations at the moment on various lines due to a safety inspection of the track. North Downs line, GN out of Moorgate for example. Assume this is heat related and/or an ultra cautious attitude given the recent derailments?

you can't blame them for that!
(From what we have been seeing recently, it's worrying that an "overheated" line can seem to be straight to a driver, but the vibration from the train might cause it to move and derail the rear of a train. Just speculation on my part of course...)

 

[GordonT]

Track diagrams showing congestion on ECML both ways currently either side of Barnet Tunnels.
Edit: Just seems to have been a "blip" as everything now on the move.

 

[bramling]

One thing which hasn’t been mentioned here, delays on Eurotunnel which is being put down to hot weather and a reduction in availability of trains. I’ve just had to re-plan a rowing outing tomorrow as someone is stuck in France and doesn’t think they are going to get across tonight.

 

[david1212]

Potentially heat related looking at Realtime Trains then National Rail there was a track issue between Leamington Spa and Banbury for around 2 hours from 08:30 today (Friday 14th) with Chiltern services in both directions cancelled and Cross-Country 60+ minute delays or cancelled, the latter perhaps because the train forming the service was still being inbound or turned short.

I'm not massively surprised by that, as in that location the train I was on on Wednesday evening lurched very hard side to side indicating some sort of developing defect. In retrospect I should probably have reported it (though I would imagine the driver probably also did), but this is far harder now I no longer partake in "X".

As the temperature had dropped and no issues showing on either Chiltern or RTT websites I travelled on Saturday. Both ways ran slow just south of Fenny Compton / MOD Kineton junction.
Much further south between Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross there was a hard lurch. Coming back it was dark but I didn't notice it.

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.

From Realtime Trains the morning train was 168004 (piloted by 165021). As formed the front coach of the 168 was cool.
Again from RTT the evening train was 168218 and 168321. As formed I joined the rear coach of 168218. After a minute or so I realised it was hot so moved forward to the centre coach. This was similar so I hoped it would cool once moving but not so. I can understand why @168lover thought the heat was on. From the history on https://www.timeanddate.com the ambient temperature in London was 25 degC and when I got off 18 degC, very noticeably lower than inside the 168. Opening windows or some way to pass more outside rather than re-cycled air ought to have lowered the inside temperature.