700 passengers evacuated as temperature reached 46C

The ordeal for passengers began after the 4.30pm northbound train from Kings Cross to Newcastle was involved in an incident which damaged overhead power lines between Peterborough and Stevenage.

As a result the southbound 2.55pm Newcastle to Kings Cross and 12pm Glasgow Central to Kings Cross trains both lost power and came to a standstill. Up to 300 passengers were trapped for two hours in the 2.55pm train, which came to a halt in Sawtry. Dozens fainted in the heat, with temperatures rising as high as 115F (46C).

More than 700 passengers were evacuated from the six trains throughout last night, with a four further trains stranded in stations. Scores of trains were delayed or cancelled and tens of thousands of passengers were caught up in the chaos, which halted services between Peterborough and Stevenage and also affected Hull Trains and West Anglia Great Northern services.

Tim Jones, 37, a marketing manager from Brighton, said that after two hours of sitting in stifling heat people started to panic. “The temperatures must have got to 120F so it was starting to get a bit scary. Eventually the staff were starting to open the doors but by then people were taking matters into their own hands.”

The Cambridgeshire police helicopter ferried hundreds of bottles of water to passengers and flew some to hospital.

The 15.55 GNER train from Newcastle to King’s Cross ground to a halt just outside Peterborough at 5.25pm. After two hours firefighters were called to help passengers — who had been told to stay on the train — to make the 8ft jump to the grounds.

Passengers were treated by paramedics at trackside and many were taken to hospital suffering from heat exhaustion and dehydration.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said: “What we understand is that they were in there for a while in carriages where you cannot open the windows. People were pretty hot and bothered and some had had breathing difficulties.”

Michael Steed, 70, said: “It was dreadful. At first everyone was quite cheerful but then we were all in a lot of discomfort.

“People were fainting and repeatedly pulling the emergency cord. Eventually a woman having a panic attack grabbed the emergency hammer and broke through the window.”

Hundreds of passengers attempting to travel South were last night stranded at Peterborough station awaiting emergency transport. Elsewhere train services were delayed by speed restrictions. Network Rail blamed the heat. The extreme heat triggered speed restrictions of 20 mph on several lines yesterday.

Virgin Trains said last night: “Problems have been caused because of these restrictions which are automatically imposed by Network Rail in very hot weather.” Initially, the thousands of passengers on the trains were able to buy water and drinks but these soon ran out.

Linda Prudhomme, an American travelling on business, was returning from Scotland on the train when it stopped at Conington. “When we were allowed to get out there were women laid on the grass at the side of the track. I thought they were going to die. It was scary,” she said.

Steven Perrin, 34, a business analyst, from St Albans, said: “It was like a coffin in there. The windows and doors did not open.”

Ian Erasmus was a on a WAGN train that left Kings Cross at 5.37pm yesterday and did not arrive in Peterborough until 10pm. He told Times Online: “Whilst I can understand that accidents can happen, what I cannot comprehend is the fact that several trains were sent out of Kings Cross towards the problem when the line management team were well aware that they were never going to get to Peterborough.

“To wilfully send these trains out was a disgraceful lack of management and complete lack of concern for the plight of thousands of commuters.”

Peter Buff was on the 17.20 Kings Cross to Hull train, which began to fall behind schedule and finally halted at Biggleswade at 18.15. He said: “We were then advised that the power lines were down in the Peterborough area and that the train was going to return to Kings Cross. However, for those passengers wishing to continue Northbound coaches were being arranged from Stevenage to Peterborough.

“Most passengers opted for this solution and we all de-trained at Stevenage at 19.00 to discover that there were no station staff immediately available to advise us what to do, or where the coaches were. At 19.30 a WAGN employee announced that while we had been told to de-train, no coaches had been arranged.

“Eventually police had to attend to instil some order in the crowd. All this time we were being assured that more coaches were coming but there was no senior management from GNER in attendance. Taxis were charging £80 upwards for the trip to Peterborough, with no guarantee of being able to claim a refund.

“I eventually arrived back in Peterborough at 01.30 this morning to see similar scenes of chaos with passengers still trying to make their way home.”

Steve Key was on a new Virgin pendalino train that was held up for 40 minutes outside Milton Keynes at 4pm yesterday.

“I have to report that we were kept informed as to the cause and likely time delay and that the carriages were air-conditioned and cool.

“If they can just stop the feedback on the PA system it would all be fine.”

Today, a Network Rail spokesman said three of the four lines on the Huntingdon stretch of the East Coast Line Mainline were reopened at 6.30am. He said: “The reopening of these lines effectively means that normal service has resumed. The fourth line is expected to be operational from 7.30am.

“Trains are running on time, although there have been a few cancellations on local WAGN services.”