UK transport minister: Hot weather will disrupt travel’ more regularly’

• Temperatures in the United Kingdom are expected to reach a record-breaking 41 Celsius on Tuesday.
• Some rail services on the East Coast main line, Thameslink, and Great Northern lines have been cancelled.

UK transport minister has warned that heat-related travel disruptions will occur “a lot more regularly” as the country’s infrastructure succumbs to an unprecedented heatwave.

“A lot of our infrastructure is just not built for these types of temperatures,” Grant Shapps told Sky News on Tuesday.

Temperatures in the United Kingdom are expected to reach a record-breaking 41 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, as an unusual atmospheric pattern transports warm air from southern Europe further north.

“On the railways . . . on the ground those rails can be heating up to 50C, 60C, or hotter, and that means they’re in serious danger of buckling, so you end up having to run the trains slower,” Shapps said.

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Some train operators and Network Rail have issued a “red weather warning” and advised London commuters to avoid travel if possible.

Some rail services on the East Coast main line, Thameslink, Great Northern, and East Midlands lines have been cancelled due to the heat. Additionally, there are significant delays and cancellations on Transport for London’s Tube services.

“We’re going to see this a lot more regularly. We’ve seen many of the hottest days ever recorded have come in the last 10 to 15 years, so we’re going to see this more,” Shapps (UK transport minister) added.

Shapps stated that the United Kingdom must upgrade its infrastructure and that it may take “decades… to replace it all.”