Thursday 13th August 2026
Train in England struggle to keep running in the heat. (Yesterday in London, the temperature reached a high of 38°C )We were coming from Oakham in Rutland, heading to London via Peterborough and Thameslink, and then planning to connect with the Southern Railway service at Haywards Heath to Lewes. The journey turned out to be quite problematic and took us 5 hrs 20 mins to get home.
At Oakham station, our train was significantly delayed, causing us to miss our connection at Peterborough. Luckily, the trains there were also delayed by nearly an hour, so we managed to catch the train we originally intended to take. Upon reaching London St Pancras, we discovered that the signalling system for Thameslink, both in South and North London, was down. A helpful guard advised us to travel to Victoria on the Underground and catch a train from there.
At Victoria, the only southbound train was heading to Littlehampton. I told Carol that it would at least get us to Haywards Heath, where we could arrange a pickup. As we approached Haywards Heath, the train guard informed those heading to Lewes to stay on the train until Hove, then connect to Brighton and finally to Lewes. It all worked out fine in the end. Our daughter picked us up at Lewes station, and we got home quickly after a tiring and hot day.
The cross-country train service from Oakham to Peterborough, which continues to Stansted, lacked air conditioning in most of the train. However, the Zumo train was comfortable, with functioning air conditioning and plenty of spare seats, allowing us a pleasant journey. When we tried to board the Thameslink, we faced a massive crowd and decided to wait it out over coffee instead. That's when we spoke to the guard.
By then, our family had informed us about the train disaster outside Lewes, and we assured them that we were safe. The train to the south was delayed but it worked out conveniently for us, giving us time to grab a snack before a relatively smooth journey to Hove. Hove station was crowded with people trying to get a train to London due to the Thameslink disruptions.
Reflecting on the day, it might have been the hottest day of the year. Locally, at Lewes, I had previously contacted the train company about the Southern trains jolting badly on their route to London. The response I received was unhelpful, asking irrelevant details like the coach number and even a serial number, which seemed like a silly way to address a concern.
