Unbelievable footage has shown the moment a Just Eat rider threw a food delivery up to a train stranded on the tracks during the UK’s hottest day so far.
The video, captured yesterday, showed the food delivery driver come to the rescue of desperate passengers stuck on a Thameslink service heading for Brighton.
The train, which had stopped moving, left many onboard feeling as though they were being ‘slow cooked’ in ‘an oven’ amid the sizzling 34C heat.
Assisting the parched travellers, the Just Eat rider is shown standing on the ground with an orange bag full of bottled water, which he carefully aims up at the train which is stuck still on a bridge above him.
The stranded passengers scream in delight each time the man successfully throws a bottle within catching distance as they helplessly stand still at the open train doors during the heatwave.
When the man’s aim fails to reach the commuters, the bottled water hits the bridge wall and plummets to the ground.
Taking to social media platform X to respond to the astonishing video, one commenter joked: ‘I hope they tipped him well’ while another quipped: ‘not all heroes wear capes’.
Three trains were stopped yesterday due to faults that impacted more than 1,800 commuters, with a series of images showing one service heading south through London being evacuated during the scorching heat.
One enraged commuter onboard a stranded train wrote on social media: ‘[Thameslink] you will have hell to pay. We’ve been stuck on this hot and humid train for over an hour.
‘The doors were closed because we were told we may be moving. That was 15 minutes ago. It’s like an oven in here and we’re being slow cooked.’
The operator confirmed on a social media post that their services were facing issues, and have since apologised to the passengers who were affected.
They first posted: ‘Due to a fault on a train between London Blackfriars and Herne Hill, some lines are blocked. We’re working to gather more information on this incident.’
Later, the rail company added that ‘services across the network’ were ‘experiencing significant disruption’.
Meanwhile, another passenger reported being stuck on a ‘rammed’ service to Brighton between Elephant and Castle and Loughborough Junction.
Adding that they believed it was a medical accident ‘waiting to happen’, they also questioned why there was ‘no air con’ or windows that could be opened on the service.
However, despite passengers’ fury, Thameslink posted on X that anyone stuck should not attempt to leave the train.
They said: ‘If you’re stuck on a train which isn’t moving, please remain where you are and don’t make any attempt to leave the train unless instructed to.’
A Thameslink spokesperson told MailOnline yesterday that they were ‘truly sorry’ to the passengers affected.
They said: ‘Earlier today, a fault on a train near Loughborough Junction brought all services to a halt in the area, three of them outside station platforms.
‘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.
‘This would have been a difficult and uncomfortable experience for our passengers and we are truly sorry. With safety our top priority, the safest place was to remain on the trains while we worked our hardest to get help to those on board.
‘There is engineering work taking place today, which means this is the only route Thameslink trains can take south out of London and severe disruption is expected for the rest of the afternoon.
‘Anyone travelling south of London is currently advised to use Southern services from Victoria but you should check the latest travel advice at thameslinkrailway.com.
‘Passengers delayed by 15 minutes or more are also entitled to compensation, with details on our website.’
A British Transport Police spokesperson also added: ‘Officers were called to Loughborough Junction Railway Station at just before 11am today (June 21) to reports of a train broken down nearby.
‘Officers assisted Thameslink and Network Rail and all passengers have been evacuated safely.’
Yesterday Britain was as hot as the likes of Barbados and Corfu, alongside hotter than Barcelona and Lisbon.
The record-breaking high was measured in the village of Charlwood in Surrey – meaning Brits there enjoyed sun hotter than in both Tenerife and Ibiza.
The popular holiday destinations saw comparatively measly 28C and 30C peaks respectively yesterday, according to available, according to Met Office data.
Meanwhile today ‘fresher’ and ‘breezy’ conditions swept in after thunderstorms swept across parts of the country overnight, including north England and south-east Scotland as the UK still feels the effects of the latest heatwave.
An official heatwave is recorded when areas reach a certain temperature for three consecutive days, with thresholds varying from 25C to 28C in different parts of the UK.
The sizzling sun came after experts at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and Imperial College London (LSHTM) forecast that around 570 people could die due to the heat over the four days.
The excess deaths were estimated to peak at 266 on Saturday when the heat will be at its most intense. London was predicted to have the greatest number of excess deaths with 129.
During 2022’s heatwave, temperatures rose past 40C, leading to 320 people being treated in hospital.
Steve Cole, policy director at RoSPA, said: ‘Heat is no longer just a holiday perk – it’s a growing public health risk.
‘We’re seeing more frequent and intense heatwaves, both in the UK and globally, and the data shows a clear rise in heat-related illness and fatalities’.
According to Network Rail, Britain’s railways are more likely to buckle during a heatwave given the tracks are made from steel.
They explained: ‘When Britain enjoys a summer heatwave, rails in direct sunshine can be as much as 20°C hotter than air temperature.
‘Because rails are made from steel, they expand as they get hotter, and can start to curve. This is known as “buckling”.
‘Slower trains cause lower forces on the track – this reduces the chance of buckling.’
Unfortunately, even with prevention measures in place, rails can buckle.
When this happens, the network is forced to close the line and carry out repairs before trains can run again.
‘This can disrupt journeys because we often have to wait until the rail temperature has dropped before we can carry out these essential repairs,’ it added.
During a heatwave, there is also an increased risk of overhead wires overheating, causing the train’s pantograph to become entangled and need repairs.
