UK heatwave: St Pancras passengers face delays across weekend
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EPA/ANDY RAIN
Railway passengers planning journeys between London and Nottingham and Sheffield have been urged not to travel as disruption caused by hot weather enters a third day.
Engineers are still trying to fix overhead line equipment near West Hampstead, north-west London.
The damage was caused by the heat on Thursday - when the UK recorded its second hottest day ever.
Train companies told customers to expect a reduced service until Monday.
Thameslink - which runs services in and around London - will also be affected. Tickets for East Midlands Trains and Thameslink services are being accepted on alternative routes.
National Rail advised those travelling between London and Sheffield to use the line linking London King's Cross with Doncaster.
It said passengers in Nottingham should travel via Grantham to King's Cross, while passengers in Leicester should travel to London Euston via Nuneaton.
Thameslink told customers the repair work would affect its services between Sutton and St Albans in both directions for much of Saturday and Sunday.
Eurostar - which runs services out of St Pancras International - was not reporting problems on its route to the Continent.
The blistering heat in the UK on Thursday reached 38.1C (100.6F) in Cambridge. And provisional figures suggest the temperature may actually have reached 38.7C - which would be an all-time UK record.
Commuters faced widespread disruption as a result of heat-related incidents on the railway while flights were also disrupted by storms across Europe.
Jake Kelly, East Midlands Trains managing director, apologised to passengers that the disruption would continue into the weekend.
He said the company was working "very closely" with Network Rail engineers to repair the equipment and fully reopen the railway.
"Our advice for customers is to avoid travelling on this route wherever possible and make alternative arrangements," he added.
Network Rail warned trains which do run are expected to be "incredibly busy".
Mr Kelly also said industrial action by the RMT union meant there would be some changes to local routes on Saturday, including revised timetables and replacement bus services.
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