Extreme heat set to cause rail disruption across North West

Rail passengers are being warned to expect disruption across the north west of England as extreme heat affects train services during the latest summer heatwave.

Operator Northern said fewer trains would operate on a number of routes, including some services to and from Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly.

The Met office has issued a rare amber weather warning, external for extreme heat covering parts of England between 09:00 and 23:59 BST on Thursday, while temperatures in the north west of England expected to reach 33C.

A Northern spokesperson urged passengers to check before they travel, carry water and allow extra time for their journeys.

They warned that timetable changes would affect some routes across Greater Manchester, the North West and Yorkshire.

Northern said the changes were needed “to reduce the potential for disruption for customers, and to provide stability and resilience”.

The operator said trains would be required to run at reduced speeds on some routes and that both rolling stock and infrastructure could be impacted by extreme temperatures.

“Taking trains out of the timetable means trains are less likely to be caught up in disruption, or cancelled on the day due to failures,” the spokesperson added.

They said the measures were designed to minimise inconvenience for passengers. At Alderley Edge, for example, services would be reduced but the station would still receive two trains per hour.