Travel chaos as all Avanti West Coast trains to London cancelled due to 'extreme heat'

All Avanti West Coast services in Scotland have been cancelled due to “extreme heat”.

The rail operator said the decision was taken following a number of weather-related incidents across the network.

Avanti, who run trains between Glasgow Central and London Euston, confirmed the news on social media.

They wrote: “Extreme Heat: All services stopped. Do not come to the station.

“Due to the extreme heat causing multiple incidents across the network, all Avanti West Coast services have now been withdrawn for the rest of today – Tuesday July 19.

“Customers with tickets for today can use them tomorrow (20 July) or Thursday (21 July), or claim a refund.”

⚠️Extreme Heat: All services stopped. Do not come to the station.

Due to the extreme heat causing multiple incidents across the network, all Avanti West Coast services have now been withdrawn for the rest of today – Tuesday 19 July.
— Avanti West Coast (@AvantiWestCoast) July 19, 2022

LNER is also experiencing major disruption on the East Coast Mainline, with no trains departing or arriving into London King’s Cross.

It comes after train speed restrictions were put in place for domestic services across Scotland’s rail network as an amber weather warning for extreme heat remains in place for much of the country.

Network Rail says that is because steel rails can be up to 20C warmer than the air temperature in hot weather, causing the rails to expand or buckle.