Rail passengers told to only travel if essential amid red extreme heat warning | Rail industry
Rail passengers were told to travel only when necessary and to check that trains were running; Extreme heat is expected to disrupt services across England.
Temperatures are expected to rise to 37C in much of southern England and Wales over the next three days, potentially rising to 40C in the hardest-hit areas.
The suburban network Chiltern Railways, which runs between London and Birmingham, has already canceled more than half its normal timetable in anticipation of widespread disruption.
Network Rail is expected to impose speed restrictions and eventually close two lines, as it does across the country in 2022, when record temperatures are recorded. The slowdown of trains will mean significant delays or cancellations of most services.
Meteorology has issued a red extreme heat warning for Wednesday and Thursday. Network Rail’s advice against non-essential travel will cover lines in the red zone, which is likely to include services on most main lines from London and affects long-distance trains across Great Britain.
Network Rail deputy managing director Jake Kelly said: “Extreme heat can have a significant impact on the railway so safety must come first. We would ask passengers to check before traveling on Tuesday and only travel if absolutely necessary on Wednesday and Thursday if they are going to or leaving the red warning zone as temperatures are expected to peak.’
Extreme temperatures can cause steel rails to expand and bend, requiring lower speeds for safety. Intense heat also increases the risk of sagging or breaking overhead cables on electrified lines and can cause signaling and electrical systems to overheat and fail.
The disruption caused by the heatwave comes as services on the Midland main line continue to be affected following a fatal collision between two EMR trains in Bedford on Friday, which killed one train driver and injured around 100 passengers. Inspection and repair work is expected to continue for the remainder of the week and services are expected to be limited.
Chiltern, whose services have fallen completely into the red zone, is understood to be tapering its services to enable many to continue or recover through disruptions seen as inevitable.
Chiltern Railways commercial manager Michael Stewart said: “We strongly advise you to avoid travel for the next three days if possible. To keep everyone safe, trains are running at greatly reduced levels, meaning you may experience significant delays and very busy conditions.”
“If you must travel, please stay safe, check your trips the morning you travel as planners are still being updated and always have a bottle of water with you.”
