More than 200 passengers were evacuated from a London train after it suffered a breakdown during the searing heatwave.
The Great Northern train, which was travelling from Moorgate to Stevenage, broke down around 3pm on Tuesday afternoon - as temperatures in the capital hit about 33C.
Footage circulating online shows passengers walking along the track towards Drayton Park station, with Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in the background.
Great Northern have said that efforts were made to restart the train, with the evacuation only taking place when it was found this was not possible.
The operator confirmed that the train broke down due to an issue where power switches from the third rail of the Northern City Line to the overhead lines.
The incident occurred during sweltering temperatures in London, with the capital gripped by an unprecedented heatwave.
Reports have suggested that it took as long as two hours for the passengers to be evacuated. The Standard has approached Great Northern for comment.
One passenger, Chris Arnold, told the Ham & High passengers were escorted on foot to Drayton Park station after two hours.
"It felt like procedures were taking precedence over people's wellbeing," he said.
"With climate change bringing more frequent heatwaves, train operators should have robust plans for dealing with breakdowns in high temperatures."
Commenters online responded with incredulity to the footage.
One wrote: “The UK cannot handle any sort of severe weather. Torrential rain, trains stop.
“Heavy snow, roads are blocked off. Heatwaves, no ACs in buildings and infrastructure can't handle the heat.
“Every year we have the same problem. What is the UK actually good for?”
Another said: “Our rail system is a joke compared to Japan. They know how to run a rail service. Why can't we?”
Others were happy to spot Arsenal’s home in the background, with one joking: “At least you had a good view of the home of football.”
A Great Northern spokesperson said: “We are extremely sorry for the difficult and very uncomfortable conditions passengers faced when one of our services broke down yesterday.
“This happened where power switches from the third rail of the Northern City Line to the overhead lines.
“The safety of our passengers is our topmost priority which is why considerable efforts were made first to engage power and restart the train because the safest place for passengers is to remain on the train.
“When this was not possible, railway staff evacuated people along the track to Drayton Park station.”
© The Standard Ltd