Extreme weather across Britain has put the railway at a higher risk of landslips. What is a landslip? Landslips happen on the railway when soil, rocks and earth fall on to and cover the track. This is often after long periods of heavy rain, when the ground becomes saturated with water. How heavy rain can … Continued
Did you know snow and ice cause serious delays and cancellations to your journeys? Find out how we keep you and freight moving safely throughout winter. Challenges We don’t usually experience extremely cold weather in Britain. But when we do, it can pose a serious safety threat to the railway and other transport infrastructure like … Continued
There are endless stories on the railway, from how our vital equipment works to rewarding careers helping passengers like you at our stations. Here are 10 of the most read of the past year: Want more posts? Visit our stories section to read our latest posts.
Did you know that leaves on the track can pose a serious safety threat to trains and cause major disruptions to your rail journeys? Here’s how we’re tackling this problem through innovation … The problem Leaves on the track can delay your journeys – particularly in the autumn. Fallen leaves can make the top layer … Continued
Find out how wind and rain can affect your journeys and what we do to keep you moving safely. When storms hit, our engineers work night and day to keep the railway open for your train services: With strong winds forecast across Britain, we and train operators are preparing for the impact of severe weather. … Continued
We know delays are frustrating and we do everything we can to avoid them. But when they do happen, we’ll do everything we can to help get your travel plans back on track. Watch this video Below is an animation explaining how we resolve delays and keep you informed: Incident reports We receive reports of … Continued
Why don’t rails get hot in Europe? The truth is they do. However, in countries typically hotter than ours, rails are stressed to withstand higher temperatures. Watch this video about how we deal with the impact of extreme heat: Hot weather can cause a great deal of disruption to the railway so Britain’s rails are pre-stressed to … Continued
Preparing for the impact of winter weather is a crucial task for us. We work hard throughout the season to minimise delays but ice and snow present unique challenges to the network. Low temperatures can cause points – movable sections of track that allow trains to move from one line to another – to freeze, stopping trains … Continued
We’re innovating the way we manage our cliffside track to combat extreme weather events and make the railway safer. Extreme weather can cause a wide array of issues for the railway. Landslips are considered one of the most dangerous of these issues. Not only can a landslip have the potential to cause a derailment, … Continued
Recent extreme temperatures have presented many challenges for the railway – the latest addition: Soil Moisture Deficit (SMD) Summer on the railway can bring extremely hot temperatures. These extreme temperatures pose a problem for the clay soil that our railway is built on – particularly in the Southern Region on the West of England Main … Continued