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Don't travel unless it's essential, says rail firm

Rachael LewisWest Midlands
Chiltern Railways A photo of a train going through a field, there is a train in the middle on the tracks. It is a Chiltern train and you can see it's white on the top and yellow at the front. Chiltern Railways
If customers no longer wish to travel, passengers with tickets dated Thursday 13 August will be eligible for a full fee-free refund, Chiltern bosses say

Rail passengers are being urged to only travel on Thursday if it is essential, as high temperatures are likely to cause significant disruption, a train company says.

Chiltern Railways (CR) said a reduced timetable would be in place between 11:00 and 20:00 to "ensure the most reliable service during the hottest part of the day".

Off-peak services between London Marylebone and Birmingham Moor Street will be operating hourly.

Michael Stewart, from CR, said: "If you do need to travel, please check your journey before setting out, allow extra time and carry water with you to stay hydrated."

Throughout the day, some services between London Marylebone and Oxford will be cancelled, no Chiltern services will operator from Birmingham Snow Hill after 10:15, and Leamington Spa to Birmingham Moor Street shuttle services will not run after 11:00.

Customers with tickets for Thursday can use can use them on Friday 14 or Saturday 15 August instead.

However, if customers no longer wish to travel, tickets dated for Thursday will be eligible for a full fee-free refund from where they were purchased, the railway operator said.

Stewart added: "We are asking customers to travel only if it's essential on Thursday because of the exceptionally high temperatures forecast across our network.

"By operating a reduced timetable during the hottest part of the day, we can provide a more reliable and comfortable service for customers."

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