UK heatwave travel: No trains from London King’s Cross amid mass Euston
Rail passengers faced mass disruption across Britain today as all trains out of London King’s Cross were cancelled and there were no direct services between Euston and Scotland following the UK’s hottest day on record.
Operators including LNER and Thameslink issued ‘do not travel’ warnings again, almost every train out of London St Pancras was axed and Eurostar passengers faced delays of more than an hour due to a power failure in Lille.
King’s Cross resembled a dormitory this morning as stranded passengers slept on suitcases, tables and benches while waiting for news of whether trains heading north would restart again after they were all cancelled yesterday.
The line between King’s Cross and Peterborough was shut after a major fire spread onto the tracks at Sandy in Bedfordshire, causing damage to signalling equipment and a level crossing which both require complex repairs.
The fire at Sandy also meant a planned inspection of more than 250 miles of track on the southern end of the East Coast Main Line to see whether any other equipment was damaged in the heat has not yet taken place.
And there could be further disruption this afternoon when thunderstorms hit, with the Met Office issuing a warning from 1pm until 9pm saying flooding and lightning strikes could result in ‘delays and some cancellations’.
Most services on the Transport for London network were back up and running normally again today after two days of disruption, but there were severe delays on the Jubilee line after signal failure in the North Greenwich area.
There were also minor delays reported on the Central, Circle and District lines – and on the Elizabeth line between Paddington and Heathrow and Reading because of late-finishing engineering work in the Ealing Broadway area.
The line between King’s Cross and Peterborough has been shut after the major fire spread onto the tracks at Sandy in Bedfordshire, causing damage to signalling equipment and a level crossing which both require complex repairs
Teams from Network Rail are carrying out repair and recovery work after a major fire spread onto the railway line at Sandy in Bedfordshire, which is on the East Coast Main Line route between Peterborough and London King’s Cross
Passengers sleep on suitcase and benches at London King’s Cross this morning as all trains are cancelled out of the station
Passengers sleep on benches at London King’s Cross station this morning as all trains are cancelled out of the station
Passengers wait to speak to staff at London King’s Cross railway station this morning as mass disruption continues
Passengers speak to staff at London King’s Cross this morning as all trains are cancelled out of the station
All trains are cancelled out of London King’s Cross railway station this morning amid severe travel disruption
Passengers sleep on suitcase at London King’s Cross this morning as all trains are cancelled out of the station
Passengers speak to staff at London King’s Cross this morning as all trains are cancelled out of the station
Passengers at London King’s Cross station this morning amid mass train cancellations following the extreme heat this week
Passengers at London King’s Cross station this morning amid mass train cancellations following the extreme heat this week
Passengers at London King’s Cross station this morning amid mass train cancellations following the extreme heat this week
Passengers at London King’s Cross station this morning amid mass train cancellations following the extreme heat this week
Network Rail teams have been working throughout the night trying to restore power lines damaged at Harrow in North West London, which is causing major disruption on the West Coast Main Line between London Euston and Glasgow
West Coast passengers are being urged to check before they set off after a tree fell onto the track at Harrow during a fire
Drone image of power lines damaged following a fire at Harrow in North West London which is causing major disruption today
The Met Office has issued a thunderstorm warning from 1pm until 9pm today saying flooding and lightning strikes could hit
At King’s Cross today, the queue for refunds and information stretched along the concourse and restaurants were full. Among those trying to travel today was journalist Karen Bourne, who was attempting to get to Peterborough.
She told MailOnline: ‘I got in from Barcelona yesterday and I was due to go to Peterborough last night. Then I found that the trains have been cancelled and I booked a train for 9am today, but I heard there has been a fire.
Read More: UK heatwave travel: No trains from London King’s Cross amid mass Euston