Extreme heat, July 2022: the passenger experience

11 August 2022

On Monday 18 and Tuesday 19 July, Britain experienced its highest ever recorded temperature. A red weather warning was in place for much of England on both dates, and it was unusually hot in Scotland and Wales as well. A reduced timetable was implemented by many train companies, with passengers encouraged to travel only if necessary, and in some cases not to travel.

This short report summarises the feedback received from passengers, including members of our Transport User Panel, and observations by Transport Focus before, during and after the two days of record-breaking temperatures. It focuses largely on the immediate passenger issues, rather than the broader question of the resilience of Britain’s railway to extreme weather.