EXTREME temperatures have caused rail disruption throughout North Yorkshire today (July 19).

Rail operators have urged passengers to only travel if ‘absolutely necessary.’

High temperatures have meant that heat speed restrictions have been implemented, limiting how fast trains can travel.

This is because rail temperatures can be 20C higher than air temperatures, meaning extreme heats can cause the tracks to expand break and bend.

Further delays will also come as line closures and reduced timetables take their toll on travel plans.

Passengers that still need to travel are asked to drink plenty of water and wait in the shade of platforms to keep safe during the heatwave.

LNER have cancelled all trains on the east coast mainline between York and London.

On Twitter, the rail operator urged customers not to travel on the route and said that tickets for cancelled trains would be valid on July 20 and 21.

TransPennine Express (TPE) also asked customers to only make essential journeys.

The operator said that no services would be running from Hull to Manchester Piccadilly, Redcar Central to Manchester Piccadilly and Huddersfield to Leeds.

This has meant that all trains from Malton to Hull have been cancelled from 2pm.

Kathryn O’Brien, customer service and operations director for TPE, said:

“The wellbeing of our customers and colleagues is our top priority and with speed restrictions and line closures in place (today) we will be operating a significantly reduced train plan.

“We encourage customers to continue to check for updates on our website tpexpress.co.uk/travel-updates or through the National Rail Enquires.”

Northern Rail have said to customers ‘do not travel’ due to significant travel disruption.

The rail operator said on Twitter that customers should avoid travelling on routes in the North East, East Mids, Yorkshire and Humber as many lines will be completely shut down.

According to PA Media, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps conceded the UK’s transport network cannot cope with the extreme heat and urged people to “apply common sense” and seek alternative travel options if possible.

Mr Shapps told BBC Breakfast: “We’ve seen a considerable amount of travel disruption, we’re probably going to see the hottest day ever in the UK recorded today and infrastructure, much of it built in Victorian times, just wasn’t built to withstand this type of temperature.”

Asked if the transport system can cope with the weather, he said: “The simple answer at the moment is no.

“Where those tracks are 40 degrees in the air, on the ground that could be 50, 60, 70 and more. So you get a severe danger of tracks buckling, what we can’t have is trains running over those and a terrible derailing.

“We’ve got to be very cautious and conscious of that, which is why there’s reduced speeds on large parts of the network.”