Speed restrictions
We know slowing down your service is frustrating, but we only use speed restrictions when necessary.
Why we slow trains down
Slowing down trains is the safest way to keep services running and prevent more serious delays or damage to infrastructure.
Here are some reasons why we might need to use speed restrictions:
- If it’s very hot – railway tracks can heat up to 50 degrees and risk buckling – which is unsafe for trains to pass over. By slowing trains down, they exert lower forces on the track, reducing the chance of this happening.
- Sagging overhead wires – the heat can cause overhead wires to sag, so trains have to be slowed down so they don’t damage them.
- Extreme cold – we use speed restrictions to reduce the risks of trains missing their stop or passing signals (for example due to ice on the tracks), risking passenger safety.
- Worn-out track – just like road surfaces, track gets worn from constant use every day. Track that is too worn risks failing under the stress of trains passing over it, so services can sometimes be slowed down until we can renew the tracks. For example, a rail may break – which we can clamp as a temporary repair, but we have to slow trains down to make sure it doesn’t break further, and you can complete your journey safely.
- A few more reasons for unplanned slow downs – vegetation obstructing signals, earth moving near or under the track, or bridge defects all require trains to slow down.
Planned speed restrictions
Sometimes, we have to plan speed restrictions too, such as after we’ve replaced tracks.
When we’ve laid new track, the line reopens at slower speeds because the ground under the track needs to ‘bed in’ and stabilise. It’s a lot safer for the track to settle with trains running at slower speeds.
How do train drivers know where speed restrictions are?
Metal boards along the railway currently display speed restrictions. They must be physically placed along routes by track staff who sometimes have to close parts of a line to carry out this work safely. We may also need to close the track to remove the boards.
However, we’ve recently trialled digital signals successfully along some test track. We were able to change the speed restrictions in seconds digitally thanks to this tech. And we could lift speed restrictions faster. This could save countless minutes of delays to your journeys. It also helps keep our staff safe by removing the need for work on the track.
Keeping you safe
We don’t like slowing your journeys down. That’s why we constantly monitor track conditions and carry out maintenance. We remove restrictions as quickly as possible to get you moving again—safely and on time.