Hundreds of season ticket holders have been told they won't qualify for refunds after taking the network's advice to not travel on the hottest day of the year.

Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), which operates trains in south-east England, said it will not reimburse passengers unless they attempted to travel during the hot weather – and faced disruption.

That's despite the network, which runs Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express – urging passengers to "avoid travelling wherever possible".

It said those with an annual pass are only entitled to a payout if they attempted a journey on Thursday and were delayed.

"A season ticket holder who decided not to travel would not be entitled to any refund or compensation," A GTR spokesman said.

"They would have had to make a journey and been delayed."

Southeastern and GTR have the same parent company, Govia, but the former was one of several operators offering compensation to season ticket holders who did not travel on Thursday.

Anthony Smith, chief executive of independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: "All passengers told not to travel due to extreme weather should be entitled to claim compensation.

"Train operators should take the heat out of the situation and do the right thing by reimbursing passengers who have acted on their advice and made alternative plans.

"When things go wrong train operators must ensure every eligible passenger knows about compensation and how to claim.

"To make their voice heard passengers must claim every time and make delay pay."

Rail regulator the Office of Rail and Road said it is examining the National Rail Conditions of Travel to consider whether firms such as GTR should offer compensation to season ticket holders when they advise passengers not to travel.

Services were crippled in large parts of England on Thursday as temperatures exceeding 38C damaged overhead wires and led to speed restrictions due to fears of tracks buckling.

Delay Repay is a national scheme that train companies use to compensate passengers for unexpected delays or cancellations. However it does not cover your rights if the rail company itself, warned you not to travel.

If you've been affected by the chaos, see our guide on how to get a refund if your train is delayed or cancelled.

If you're not happy with the outcome, you can escalate it to the Rail Ombudsman who will review your case and make a judgement accordingly.

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