No trains between Shepherds Bush and Watford Junction until approximately 19:00 

Route(s) affected

Between East Croydon and Watford Junction

Description

The Met Office are advising that heatwave conditions are forecast for parts of England and Wales with temperatures expected to remain high until at least Saturday 27 June.

The hot weather is set to be widespread over England and Wales, and highs of up to 38°C are possible in some areas this week. There are red and amber weather warnings in place for extreme heat covering parts of England and Wales from today, Monday 22 to Thursday 25 June.

As a result of this hot weather, Southern trains are currently unable to run between Shepherds Bush and Watford Junction. Disruption is expected to continue until 19:00.

Customer advice:

Trains which usually run between East Croydon and Watford Junction in either direction will run to a revised calling pattern, and will instead run between East Croydon and Shepherds Bush. This will affect trains until 19:00 today.

The following stations will not be served by Southern trains:

• Wembley Central

• Harrow & Wealdstone

• Watford Junction

If you are travelling to or from these stations, you can use your ticket to travel at no extra cost on:

• London Northwestern Railway services between London Euston and Tring - for Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone, Watford Junction

• London Overground services between London Euston and Watford Junction - for Wembley Central, Harrow & Wealdstone

• London Underground services on any reasonable route, including routes via:

  • London Euston

  • The Central line for Shepherds Bush

  • The Bakerloo line for Wembley Central and Harrow & Wealdstone

  • The Jubilee line for Stanmore and a bus connection to Watford Junction on London Bus 142

Please check journey planners and station information boards before you travel and allow extra time to reach your destination.

You can see live departure boards and a live map to see if your journey has been affected.

You can also use the Southern app to find up-to-date travel information.

Can you tell me more about the incident?

Today's summer weather may cause some disruption to your journey. Rails in direct sunshine can be as much as 20°C hotter than the air temperature. Because rails are made from steel, they expand as they get hotter, and can start to buckle.

Beyond a certain temperature, speed restrictions are likely to be put in place. Slower trains exert lower forces on the track, and this reduces the chance of buckling.

Speed restrictions are especially likely following engineering works. There is a gradual process to adjust the track after it is replaced, and this can be affected by very warm weather. To prevent the rails from being damaged, lower speed limits can be necessary.

Preventative measures are also put into place - for example, certain rails which are known to get hot may be painted white in order to reflect sunshine. Also, some of the points at junctions may not be used as frequently as usual. The electronic controls are very sensitive and hotter steelwork can mean that faults are detected.

Because of the chance of delays, please make sure you take water with you when you're travelling, and keep an eye on our latest updates about your journey.

Check before you travel:

You can check your journey using the National Rail Enquiries real-time Journey Planner.

Compensation:

You may be entitled to compensation if you experience a delay in completing your journey today. Please keep your train ticket and make a note of your journey, as both will be required to support any claim.