Rail passengers in Essex face delays and amended timetables from Tuesday after Network Rail said prolonged drought and hot weather have dried out and shrunk the clay beneath sections of track, degrading its quality. The move follows two derailments during this summer's heatwaves, at Wickford in Essex and Lewes in East Sussex, the latter seriously injuring two passengers, and comes as officials warn hot weather has created wider challenges for the railway's resilience.

Amended timetables affect the c2c route between Shoeburyness and London and some Greater Anglia services, with journeys taking two to eight minutes longer until next Tuesday. Network Rail is spending £2.6 billion on track maintenance and renewals nationally, and is using tampers and new ballast to stabilise the Greater Anglia line, while passengers are advised to avoid non-essential travel through Wickford. The UK is on course for its hottest summer on record, with five heatwaves, temperatures up to 38.1C and drought declared across most of England and all of Wales, though forecasters now warn of thunderstorms and flash flooding as conditions turn unsettled.