Heatwave forces speed restrictions and cancellations on UK train services

A heatwave across Britain has led Network Rail to impose speed restrictions on tracks and prompted multiple operators to cancel or revise services. South Western Railway warned that its entire network may be revised, affecting routes between London Waterloo and Weymouth, Aldershot, Exeter St Davids, Salisbury and others. LNER reduced speeds to 20 mph on lines that normally run at 125 mph, and Great Northern halted services between Cambridge and King's Lynn due to damaged overhead wires. The restrictions are required because steel rails and overhead lines expand in high temperatures, increasing the risk of buckled rails.

The disruption also extended to road infrastructure, with a section of the A143 near Bury St Edmunds melting. The AA reported a 15 % rise in vehicle breakdown callouts compared with the same period last year, as motorists struggled with overheating engines and other heat‑related issues.