Thameslink train passengers evacuated as temperatures soar - 21 June 2025

[whole diary]

[Chris from Nailsea]

From the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Passengers have been forced to evacuate trains in south London as temperatures soared above 30C (86F).

A fault on a train near Loughborough Junction brought all services in the area to a halt, three of them outside station platforms, Thameslink and Network Rail said in a joint statement.

"Without power and air conditioning on such a hot day, we pulled all resources from across Sussex and Kent to get personnel on site to safely evacuate passengers as quickly as possible along the track," it said.

Angela Lewis, a Gatwick-bound passenger, said it was "a bloody nightmare". Thameslink apologised to those affected for the "difficult and uncomfortable experience".

The incident began at about 10:40 BST with the evacuations of the first two trains completed at about 12:20 and the third at about 13:10, a spokesperson said.

They added that due to engineering works, this was the only route taking Thameslink services south out of London and "and disruption is expected into the evening".



Writing on social media, Ms Lewis said passengers had been left on the train for about two hours before being removed.

"Some people had luggage and infants, had been trying to get to Gatwick," she said.

Ms Lewis added that some had missed their flights due to the disruption, adding: "Who will compensate them?"

(Article continues)

[Chris from Nailsea]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Watch: Delivery rider throws water to trapped train passengers

A delivery rider with a good aim came to the aid of passengers trapped on a south London train as temperatures soared above 30C.

A fault on a train near Loughborough Junction on Saturday brought all services in the area to a halt, three of them outside station platforms, Thameslink and Network Rail said in a joint statement.

The video shows the Just Eat rider accurately throwing bottles of water to a passenger standing in an opened door on the train metres above him.

In other videos shared on social media from onboard the train, the passengers can be heard cheering the rider.

[TaplowGreen]

An update, from the BBC^» (British Broadcasting Corporation - home page):

Watch: Delivery rider throws water to trapped train passengers

A delivery rider with a good aim came to the aid of passengers trapped on a south London train as temperatures soared above 30C.

A fault on a train near Loughborough Junction on Saturday brought all services in the area to a halt, three of them outside station platforms, Thameslink and Network Rail said in a joint statement.

The video shows the Just Eat rider accurately throwing bottles of water to a passenger standing in an opened door on the train metres above him.

In other videos shared on social media from onboard the train, the passengers can be heard cheering the rider.

...................what efforts did the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) make to provide water for their stranded customers?

[grahame]

...................what efforts did the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) make to provide water for their stranded customers?

Perhaps they hired / subcontracted the delivery driver??

[ChrisB]

Perhaps it made more sense to engage the available personnel in getting the passengers off the train rather than providing water? I doubt you can do both at the same time.

[TaplowGreen]

...................what efforts did the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) make to provide water for their stranded customers?

Perhaps they hired / subcontracted the delivery driver??

You would have thought something would have been arranged by the TOC/NR given the circumstances but it would appear that the delivery driver was "hired" by one of those on board the train who felt like he was being "slowly cooked".

It was rather fortunate that the job went to someone with such an accurate arm!

[Electric train]

...................what efforts did the TOC^▸ (Train Operating Company)/NR^» (Network Rail - home page) make to provide water for their stranded customers?

Perhaps they hired / subcontracted the delivery driver??

You would have thought something would have been arranged by the TOC/NR given the circumstances but it would appear that the delivery driver was "hired" by one of those on board the train who felt like he was being "slowly cooked".

It was rather fortunate that the job went to someone with such an accurate arm!

Lets consider how difficult it is to transport water.
500mL = 500g
Allowing for on person can carry 25kg on flat level ground that's 50 bottles but as it would have to be carried over rough track ballast 12kg so that 24 bottles

To supply a train with 300 plus people that's 12 people or a number of multiple trips.

Better to utilise those people to evacuate the train and have the water at the station or track exit point.

The cause is allegedly down to a shake proof washer not being fitted on the shoe when the unit was last serviced

[broadgage]

Water could presumably delivered by drones ? Even a single 500ml bottle per drone trip would help, remembering that each drone should be able to make at least 20 trips an hour from say a nearby car park, and multiple drones could be used.

Enough water for train full of passengers could be delivered by helicopter. Place the bottles of water in a net slung under the machine, and lower this to the victims without landing.

[grahame]

Water could presumably delivered by drones ? ...

At Loughborough Junction - third rail - yes.  More tricky with overhead electrification?

[TaplowGreen]

Enough water for train full of passengers could be delivered by helicopter. Place the bottles of water in a net slung under the machine, and lower this to the victims without landing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrrIRr9arkM

 

[Electric train]

Water could presumably delivered by drones ? Even a single 500ml bottle per drone trip would help, remembering that each drone should be able to make at least 20 trips an hour from say a nearby car park, and multiple drones could be used.

Enough water for train full of passengers could be delivered by helicopter. Place the bottles of water in a net slung under the machine, and lower this to the victims without landing.

The time it would take to arrange the helo and getting the supplies of water to it the trains would have been evacuated and even the service restored.

The internal question I'm sure that will be asked was a too larger an area of traction current switched off, were there enough MOMs^▸ (Mobile Operations Manager) (mobile operations managers) available, at what stage did the incident move from Bronze Incident Command  Silver

[TaplowGreen]

Another one.....Eurostar this time.

https://www.aol.co.uk/eurostar-chaos-passengers-complain-slowly-152817520.html

Customers described being stranded on board train with no working toilets or air conditioning

[Electric train]

Another one.....Eurostar this time.

https://www.aol.co.uk/eurostar-chaos-passengers-complain-slowly-152817520.html

Customers described being stranded on board train with no working toilets or air conditioning

But it was in France not really a UK^▸ (United Kingdom) railway problem