A commuter suffered a heart attack and others risked their lives to escape a south Essex train which had turned into an "oven" after becoming stranded between stations.

They stormed off the Great Eastern train and walked alongside rails to trudge back to the nearest station as temperatures inside the carriages topped 38C, 100.4F.

One commuter suffered a heart attack and others fainted and were ill in the heat as their homeward-bound train was brought to a standstill.

Thousands of travellers on the Liverpool Street to Southend Victoria line were delayed for several hours after overhead lines were damaged by the heat yesterday on the hottest day of the year so far.

Steven Hodges from Friern Walk, Wickford, described the experience as "unbelievable" as passengers fainted around him in the muggy temperatures aboard the 4.40pm from Liverpool Street to Southend.

The 38-year-old's train stopped midway between Stratford and Ilford shortly after 5pm because of the overhead line problem.

He said: "The heat was unbearable and people were getting really ill and others were getting off and walking down the track.

"No one was telling us anything until the driver said someone had suffered a heart attack."

First Great Eastern said sagging power lines had led to an average delay of an hour to each train.

British Transport Police spokesman said passengers leaving trains and walking along the tracks had added to delays because trains could not go past until lines were clear of the people walking along it.

Published Thursday, August 7, 2003

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