East Coast Main Line between York / Leeds and London to close this Tuesday

London North Eastern Railway has confirmed that the East Coast Main Line will close this Tuesday, 19th July 2022, between York / Leeds and London Kings Cross.

Temperatures are set to peak around 39 degrees in some parts on Tuesday, and the risk of the rails buckling is high.

A Do Not Travel message is being shared as no trains will run on Tuesday.

On Monday 18th July 2022, LNER trains will be limited to 60mph between London Kings Cross and Leeds / York – trains normally run at 125mph on this section of line.

David Horne, MD of LNER, has said “The rail industry has taken the very difficult decision to close the East Coast main line between York/Leeds and London on Tuesday 19 July when temperatures are due to peak at 39 deg C. I'm sorry if this will disrupt your journey plans but the safety of everyone must come first”

You can keep up to date with the latest LNER travel news on their JourneyCheck page.

Sam MacDougall, operations director for Network Rail said: “Closing the line to traffic is always a last resort but it is the right thing to do to keep people safe on Tuesday given the unprecedented heatwave forecast. The forecast temperatures are well above those which our infrastructure is designed, and safety must come first. On Monday we are reducing the speed at which trains can run which will limit the number of trains running and extend journey times significantly so we're asking passengers to only travel if absolutely necessary.
“The best way to keep everyone safe and prevent passengers from becoming stranded on trains in the extraordinary heat is to proactively close the East Coast Main Line routes south of York and Leeds during the very hottest temperatures. I am sorry for the disruption this will cause.”

Jason Webb, Director of Customer Information Rail Delivery Group said: “These are extreme temperatures and while the whole industry is pulling together to deliver the best possible service under the circumstances, we must ask people to only travel if absolutely necessary. If you have no choice but to travel on lines that are open, please take all sensible precautions to keep yourself safe and well, like bringing water for your journey.
“If your train is disrupted and you choose not to travel then you are eligible for a fee free refund. Some operators will also offer customers the ability to travel either Wednesday or Thursday if they prefer to delay their travel – please check with your operator. We are sorry for the disruption caused.”