About 8,500 Wellington commuters were left stranded during rush hour on Tuesday when train services were cancelled at peak rush hour.

Trains are expected to be running again in Wellington on Wednesday morning but the risk of delays and possible cancellations remains, as some services need to be "repositioned".

On Tuesday, as temperatures in the capital hit record highs, many train services were suspended due to the heat. Services on the Hutt Valley line were stopped after a points fault at Petone, and as the unusually high temperatures affected wires between Ngauranga and Petone.

Early Wednesday the Metlink website said services were returning to normal for the morning peak. But it added: "Please be aware there may be delays and possible cancellations as we reposition some services on the line."

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Commuters were left waiting at Wellington Railway Station as temperatures in the city climbed to 30 degrees Celsius.

Train users were advised to check before they travelled.

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On Tuesday, Metlink said the wires affected by the heat provided the overhead power supply on the Hutt Valley line, leading to the necessary bus replacement of services on the line.

ROSS GIBLIN/STUFF Buses are replacing services between Wellington and Johnsonville during the heatwave.

"You may see trains on the line, however these will be testing the overheads and re-positioning for morning peak services."

In Wellington in Tuesday, the temperature at Kelburn hit a record 30.3 degrees Celsius and Upper Hutt reached a record 33.3C.

Thousands of commuters were affected with many complaining of being left sitting in sweltering trains and sweating at the station.

Kiwirail Lower North Island general manager operations Anthony Mills said unusually high temperatures affected the wires that provided the overhead power supply on the Hutt and Johnsonville lines.

Stuck in the sweltering heat on a train near Petone. Come on #metlink get your act together. At least you could do is let us off so we could get alternate transport. — Ally Clelland (@clelland_ally) January 29, 2019

All services on the Hutt Valley Line were suspended due to the points failure at Petone.

Some services to Upper Hutt were replaced by bus.

Metlink encouraged people to find alternative transport.

Services on the Johnsonville Line and Hutt Valley Line are replaced by bus https://t.co/DbxTduAus2 — Metlink Wellington (@metlinkwgtn) January 29, 2019

Commuters took to Twitter to say the station was a terrible place to be as impatient passengers mount up.

Don Rood said on Twitter "hundreds and hundreds" of Wellington commuters were stranded.

Huge queues as hundreds and hundreds of Wellington commuters are stranded as trains to the Hutt Valley and Johnsonville are cancelled. Buses are promised but no sign of them. pic.twitter.com/demFgN35yw — Don Rood (@TheDonRood) January 29, 2019

​There were supposed to be buses, but there was no sign of them arriving, Rood said.

Twitter user Zed said it was no surprise, and said it wouldn't be a normal week on Wellington trains without issues.

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