With hot weather forecast 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 of track-side probes to monitor local conditions.
- We introduce speed restrictions during the hottest part of the day at vulnerable locations as slower trains exert lower forces on the track and reduce the likelihood of buckling.
- We paint certain parts of the rail white so they absorb less heat – and expand less. Typically, a rail painted white is 5°C to 10°C cooler.
- Our teams check track stability each winter as part of ongoing maintenance, and strengthen any weak parts before summer.
- 由于大多数轨道由长块轨道构成，其伸展并焊接在一起，因此在非常高的温度下屈曲的可能性较小，因为压缩降低。
- When a track is made up from short rails bolted together, we leave small gaps between each one to allow for expansion.
