Passengers beg to be rescued from train stuck with no air conditioning after ‘slowly cooking’

Passengers were forced to walk down sizzling train tracks after a Thameslink service became stuck in the 34°C heat.

Customers on the service said they felt as if they were being ‘slow cooked’ after the train came to a halt – and the air conditioning stopped working.

At least three trains had to stop in the middle of their journeys due to faults, with one service shown being evacuated.

One customer wrote online: ‘[Thameslink] you will have hell to pay. We’ve been stuck on this hot and humid train for over an hour.

‘The doors were closed because we were told we may be moving. That was 15 minutes ago. It’s like an oven in here and we’re being slow cooked.’

Another took to socials to ask to be rescued, saying they had been stuck on a train between Blackfriars and East Croydon for more than an hour with no air conditioning.

One added they were on a ‘rammed’ service to Brighton, describing the journey as a ‘medical accident waiting to happen’.

Footage shows passengers jumping from the train onto the ground below and walking along the tracks as the sun beats down on them.

Many can be seen ragging suitcases behind them, or helping older passengers make the climb down.

It comes as temperatures peak today during the days long heatwave, with highs of 34°C, below the June record of 35.6°C in 1976.

Thameslink said: ‘ Due to a fault on a train between London Blackfriars and Herne Hill, some lines are blocked. We’re working to gather more information on this incident.’

People living in London and the West Midlands are most at risk of becoming seriously ill in the extreme heat.

More than 10,000 people died prematurely in summer heatwaves between 2020 and 2024, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

The agency has issued amber heat-health alerts across the country, running until 9am on Monday.

Dr Agostinho Sousa said: ‘We have already seen warm weather across the week, and temperatures are set to increase in the coming days, exceeding 30°c in many areas.

‘Our findings show that heat can result in serious health outcomes across the population, especially for older adults or those with pre-existing health conditions.

‘It is therefore important to check on friends, family and neighbours who are more vulnerable and to take sensible precautions while enjoying the sun.’

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