Press release -
Hot weather update: London Northwestern Railway
Passengers are being advised to check their journeys before travelling as London Northwestern Railway will run a significantly reduced service between Northampton and London Euston today due to heat-related speed restrictions imposed by Network Rail.
With record-breaking temperatures of up to 38°C forecast later today, the heat at the side of the railway track will be in excess of 50°C and Network Rail has imposed blanket speed restrictions on parts of the network in an attempt to prevent rails from buckling, affecting some services.
One such restriction has been imposed south of Rugby, meaning a necessary reduction in services to London Euston. The knock-on impact, including displacement of train crew, will also affect other routes
Details of affected London Northwestern Railway services:
- Between 11am and 8pm, one service per hour will run from Northampton to London Euston instead of the usual three. This means two trains per hour usually bound for Euston will instead terminate at Northampton
- As a consequence, some services to Rugeley Trent Valley and Liverpool Lime Street will start their journeys at Northampton, rather than London Euston, between 12noon and 8pm
- A significantly reduced service will run in the evening peak to destinations including Watford, Milton Keynes and Tring. Some inbound trains from Tring to London Euston will also be cancelled in the peak period
Passengers are advised to check their journeys before travelling by visiting National Rail Enquiries and should consider travelling outside the evening peak period if possible, as services will be busy.
Jonny Wiseman, customer experience director for London Northwestern Railway, said: “Extreme heat causes issues on the track and we are taking sensible precautions with our services to and from London Euston in order to keep the railway moving. Passengers should check their journeys before travelling.
“It is crucial that passengers remain hydrated and we advise our customers to carry water with them if possible. If passengers feel ill on board a train they should not attempt to stop it, but instead seek help at the next station.”
Passengers who are delayed on their journeys as a result of the extreme heat are encouraged to claim compensation via the Delay Repay scheme.
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About West Midlands Trains
For further information on this release, call our press office on 03300 955150 or email press.office@wmtrains.co.uk
West Midlands Trains operates both West Midlands Railway and London Northwestern Railway services.
- London Northwestern Railway services operate between Liverpool and Birmingham, and on the West Coast mainline to and from London Euston.
- West Midlands Railway services operate to destinations across the West Midlands via Birmingham New Street.
For more information on these services visit westmidlandsrailway.co.uk or londonnorthwesternrailway.co.uk
The West Midlands Trains franchise started on 10 December 2017 and will run until 2025/26.
West Midlands Trains operates 1,300 services a day, manages 150 stations and provides over 70 million passenger journeys a year. Over the course of the franchise, West Midlands Trains will be investing £1 billion into the rail network to deliver new trains, improved routes and station upgrades. This will include 400 new train carriages across the network and space for an extra 85,000 passengers into Birmingham and London at peak times.
The franchise is a joint venture between Abellio (70.1% share) and East Japan Railway Company / Mitsui & Co., Ltd (29.9% share in a 50:50 split). Abellio is the international passenger transport subsidiary of the Dutch national railway company, Nederlandse Spoorwegen. In the UK, Abelllio operates ScotRail and Greater Anglia train services, Merseyrail services in a joint venture with Serco and buses through Abellio London. For more information visit www.abellio.com
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