COMMUTERS have faced another nightmare day on the trains as the blazing hot weather caused yet more cancellations.

Network Rail imposed heat-related speed restrictions on the Greater Anglia network from noon until 9pm yesterday as temperatures reached 31 degrees.

Almost 30 trains into London Liverpool Street were cancelled, including those from Southend from 8am yesterday.

The cancellations continued until 8.35pm.

Greater Anglia had warned of the cancellations the day before, prompting an angry response from commuters.

Lisa Blackman, of Leigh, said: “Great Anglia are ridiculous.

“I arrived there and was delayed 40 mins as a door was faulty.

“I sympathised as a newcomer but saw the frustration of the regulars as another problem cropped up.

“The door may be a one-off, but the heat/cold/weather excuses - no way should Greater Anglia get away with this.

“When you consider all the money commuters pay to travel, there needs to be no more excuses.”

Kevin Taylor, of Benfleet, said: “Jokers. I’m in Italy and the temperature is the same if not hotter and all their trains run on time.”

Karen Orwell, added: “Wednesday was two degrees hotter than Tuesday.

“No trains were cancelled on Tuesday.

“This is getting beyond a joke.

“Trains getting to Rayleigh crammed with airport customers and cases and no seats.”

Because rails are made from steel, they expand as they get hotter, and can start to curve, known as ‘buckling’.

National Rial then introduces speed restrictions to stop the buckling from getting too bad.

A Greater Anglia spokesman said: “We are very sorry for any inconvenience caused by these heat-related speed restrictions and the amended timetable that we have to run as a result of the slower speeds.”