Commuters have been advised to avoid travelling on key rail routes in London and the south east on Thursday due to expected record temperatures which may cause tracks to give way.
Temperatures in London after expected to reach 38C in Thursday with could break a record for the hottest day in July.
Train companies operating services into London from Kent, Sussex, Cambridge said they would be running fewer trains and implementing speed restrictions. They warned passengers to avoid travelling if possible.
In hot weather railway tracks can be 20C hotter than surrounding air temperature which causes the steel to expand and give way when there is pressure. By implementing speed restrictions there will be less likely to buckle.
Journey in and around London will take longer than normal on Thursday due to the restrictions on speed.
A Southeastern spokesman said: ‘Metal rails in direct sunshine can exceed 50C (122F) and Network Rail need to introduce these speed restrictions to reduce the chance of rails buckling in the heat.”
He added: “We strongly advise you to avoid travelling, if you can.
“Details of those trains which won’t be running is still being finalised and we will update journey planners on Wednesday as soon as these are confirmed.”
