Further woe was inflicted on rail passengers in Bradford after Grand Central Rail cancelled four services yesterday between Bradford and London King’s Cross due to trains needing repairs.

The rail operator apologised to customers on social media for the problems, which meant two morning trains from Bradford Interchange to London, and two afternoon trains going in the opposite direction, were cancelled.

It said the trains were cancelled “due to more trains than usual needing repairs at the same time.”

Passengers were told to get trains to Leeds to get to London, delaying journeys by more than an hour.

In a separate message on Twitter, Grand Central blamed the hot weather for more trains than normal needing repairs.

A spokesperson for Grand Central Rail said: "We are truly sorry to all customers who have experienced disrupted and cancelled journeys on Grand Central services recently.

"We understand the frustration and inconvenience caused when trains do not run as planned. The extended period of hot weather caused engine and air-conditioning issues with a number of our trains, leading to cancellations.

We’re working hard to return to a full service as soon as possible, and our engineering team are working around the clock to complete the necessary repairs.

"In the meantime, if you are travelling this week, check our website, follow us on Twitter or speak to station staff at manned stations for the latest travel updates.

"Delay Compensation is also available for customers who were delayed in reaching their destination by 60 minutes or more – please visit our website at www.grandcentralrail.com for further details and our compensation form."

In June, Grand Central was ranked the best train operator for customer satisfaction and best value long distance operator, with 95 per cent of passengers saying they were satisfied with their journeys, and 74 per cent of long distance passengers saying their journeys were value for money.

Meanwhile, staff on Arriva Rail North train services have called off their latest strike action over the role of guards on trains.

Members of the RMT union were due to walk out for 24 hours on July 21, the latest in a series of strikes against the operator, which runs services on Airedale, Wharfedale and Calderdale lines.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: “RMT’s negotiating team has been in talks with Arriva Rail North over the past week in an attempt to seek a resolution to the long-running dispute.

“Reports from RMT representatives and correspondence from the company have set out a process for reconvening talks around proposals to set up a joint working party to consider a range of options on the deployment of on-board staff, including a specific option of retaining a second safety critical person on board all ARN trains.

“RMT’s national executive committee has noted this situation and has stated that these talks must commence this week.”