South Western Railway and C2C are among rail operators affected by the recent warm weather, part of what the Met Office believes will be one of the hottest summers on record
Rail services have been cut and speed restrictions have been imposed on trains due to the persistently dry weather.
It means some journeys are taking longer than expected – and other services are being altered, including terminating earlier. Clay soil embankments on which some tracks sit have dried out and shrunk in the scorching heatwaves, during which temperatures have exceeded 33C.
Yesterday, C2C, which operates trains between London and south Essex, became the latest operator to be affected by Network Rail speed restrictions. There were also restrictions in the southwest affecting services between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids. South Western Railway (SWR) halved the number of services on the route to one train every two hours and journeys were taking about an hour longer than usual between Templecombe in Somerset and Exeter. Trains were being forced to run at 40mph instead of 85mph on sections of the route.
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Temperatures weren’t even as warm yesterday as they were at the start of the month. The mercury peaked at 27.6C in Dunstaffnage, Argyll and Bute, a stark drop from the 34C recorded in St James’s Park in central London in early July.
But it was still enough for issues to continue, this time on the C2C lines in and out of the capital. Other lines could follow, as there is concern for the tracks between Maidstone East to Ashford; Tonbridge to Hastings, and Faversham to Whitstable, all across the South East of England.
If the clay soil shrinks, the tracks can move and become uneven, making it dangerous to run trains at full speed. Problems can be exacerbated because trees and vegetation near the line extract any water left in the ground, according to The Times.
Britain is on course for one of the hottest summers on record, according to the Met Office. The UK experienced one of the driest springs in 50 years.
“What’s striking is the consistency of the warmth. June and July were both well above average, and even outside of heatwaves, temperatures have remained on the warmer side,” Emily Carlisle, a climate scientist at the Met Office said yesterday.
Simon Milburn, infrastructure director for Network Rail Anglia, said: “Our teams are working together to keep running the best possible service for passengers.” SWR said “attempting to stabilise the track now would only provide a short-lived fix, as the soil continues to move”. It added: “Once soil moisture levels improve and the ground begins to rehydrate and settle, engineers will carry out lasting repairs to stabilise the embankments and restore track levels, allowing the normal timetable to return.”