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Tag: extreme weather

Why rails buckle in Britain

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

Why can’t normal train services run on snow and ice?

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

A crucial cliff-face lift

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

Soil Moisture Deficit on the railway

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

Our new extreme weather resilience task force  

We have launched a new extreme weather resilience task force to tackle the effects of hot weather on the railway   This summer, Britain has had some of its highest temperatures ever recorded. We’ve brought in independent experts to lead the way in helping to mitigate disruption and keep you safe on the railway. What … Continued

Seven ways we responded to the heatwave

Record temperatures hit Britain this week, severely impacting the railway – and your journeys. Here are seven ways we worked to keep you safe … Extreme temperatures are a real issue for the railway. Heatwaves, like the one we are experiencing now, have caused widespread disruption and damage to our infrastructure. Luckily, our teams have … Continued

Red weather warning – do not travel north of London

We and train operators have upgraded our travel advice to do not travel on services heading north out of London into the weather warning ‘red zone’. With no services planned to run into or out of London King’s Cross, there are also now no Thameslink or Great Northern services planned to run north of London … Continued

How we prevent tracks from getting too hot

With hot weather across Britain, we’re working hard to prepare the tracks for the added strain of higher temperatures. Here’s how we do it We work closely with specialist weather forecasters and local weather stations to make plans and take action so rails are less likely to buckle. We have installed mini weather stations and thousands … Continued

How do you build a wall between the railway and the sea?

We’re well on our way to completing section two of the new Dawlish sea wall in Devon. It will make this section of railway more resilient to severe weather – and mean a safer railway for you and the people who live nearby. We’ve faced many challenges building this bigger, better defence, but how have … Continued

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