Passengers in Lichfield are being urged to plan ahead with high temperatures set to cause disruption to railway services over the coming days.
The Met Office has issued an amber weather warning for extreme heat from Sunday (17th July), with temperatures forecast to reach the mid-thirties at the start of next week.
People travelling on the West Coast Main Line are being warned that delays are likely despite the work of Network Rail’s extreme weather action teams.
James Dean, Network Rail’s West Coast South route director, said:
“Keeping passengers moving is always our top priority, but we want people to be prepared.
“If the soaring temperatures do lead to us having to put in place slower speeds for safety reasons, please bear with us while our engineers work to fix the problem – it may mean some journeys take longer.
“For those who must travel by rail, we’d remind people to carry some water with them so they can stay hydrated, and always check before travelling so they know exactly what to expect.”
James Dean, Network Rail
Network Rail say the hot weather, particularly direct sunlight, can cause track temperatures to reach more than 50°C due to the steel absorbing heat, leading to rails to bend, flex ands buckle.
To prevent this from happening some sections are painted white to reflect the sun’s rays and stop them from getting too hot.
Trains also run at slower speeds to put less strain on the rails.
The network of 25,000 volt overhead electric cables which power trains on the West Coast main line is also susceptible to high temperatures due to overheating.
As a result, passengers are advised to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk.
