Extreme heat: Travel advice for Chiltern Railways’ customers extended to Friday
Chiltern Railways are advising customers to avoid travelling if they can up to and including Friday 26 June due to significant disruption expected because of extreme heat.
With red weather warnings in place, potentially damaging the rail infrastructure, trains will be running at greatly reduced levels (fewer than 50 per cent of normal levels on some routes) on Wednesday 24, Thursday 25 and Friday 26 June to ensure everyone's safety, which means there may be significant delays and very busy conditions.
Chiltern customers who hold tickets for Wednesday 24, Thursday 25 or Friday 26 June can use them on Saturday 27 or Sunday 28 June instead. If customers no longer wish to travel, tickets dated Wednesday 24, Thursday 25 or Friday 26 June will be eligible for a full refund from where tickets were purchased.
Customers are encouraged to keep checking their journeys during this period of hot weather.
Michael Stewart, Commercial and Customer Strategy Director at Chiltern Railways, said:
“This week’s extreme weather is going to continue into Friday so as a result we strongly advise you to avoid travelling until the weekend. Trains are running at greatly reduced levels as there is a significant risk to infrastructure.
“Running a reduced service means there is more resilience in the network and more chance for the rail network to recover. Trains which do run may experience significant delays and see very busy conditions.
“If you do need to travel, please stay safe, check your journeys on the morning you travel as planners are still being updated and carry a bottle of water with you at all times.”
Advice for customers who do travel during extreme heat:
- Carry water with you - stay hydrated at all times
- Help make space for everyone onboard, use the overhead racks to stow bags
- Don’t board a train if you feel unwell. If you become ill onboard, it is more difficult for us to provide support and this could also delay hundreds of other people
- If you do feel unwell onboard, get off at the next staffed station and seek assistance from staff or 24-hour help points
- In non-emergency situations, avoid using the passenger emergency alarm between stations, as help can be more easily provided to you at a staffed station
- Close train doors behind you – this helps the air cooling to work more effectively
Meanwhile, Chiltern Railways plans to operate services to and from Wembley Stadium Station to support the Harry Styles concert on Friday 26 June.
More information on the level of service which is running on all three days can be viewed here.
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Notes to editors
- Chiltern Railways is part of the Arriva group, one of the leading providers of passenger transport in Europe, employing around 35,670 people and delivering around 1.5 billion passenger journeys across 11 European countries.
- Chiltern operates commuter/regional rail passenger services from its Central London terminus at London Marylebone along the M40 corridor to destinations in Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, as well as long-distance services to the West Midlands along two routes. Services on the Chiltern Main Line run from London Marylebone to Birmingham Snow Hill, Stratford-upon-Avon and Oxford, with some peak-hour services to Stourbridge Junction.
- Chiltern also runs trains on the London to Aylesbury Line to Aylesbury (with some trains terminating at Aylesbury Vale Parkway instead), between Princes Risborough and Aylesbury and between Oxford and Bicester.