Images from this weekend of workers painting the train tracks white to reflect the heat highlighted the plight of British railways.
With temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius or more, speed restrictions were hastily introduced into the network along with requests for travelers to work from home and cancellation notices.
For anyone who wants to venture north from the capital, the situation is even worse. As of Tuesday afternoon, all locations between London King’s Cross and York and Leeds will be closed.
As extreme temperatures become more common, transport chiefs face a network unable to cope with the hot weather.
Sam MacDougall, chief operating officer of Network Rail, the state-backed body that owns tracks and stations, said the measures “were the last resort, but it’s the right thing to do to keep people safe.”
Railways are usually designed to operate within a range of “normal” temperatures. In Britain, it is between -10 and 35 degrees Celsius. For Spain, they are made to work between 0 and 45 degrees Celsius. For Saudi Arabia, it is between 10 and 55.
This week’s heat wave has already sparked talks within Network Rail that Britain should adjust its range, perhaps between -5 and 40 degrees.
The decision to close the main east coast line amid the red weather warning, which will likely force the roads to families whose children have already separated for the summer holidays, is primarily a function which is one of the oldest electrified parts on the track. the United Kingdom.
The overhead power cables running along the east coast line between London and Edinburgh are supported at regular intervals by perpendicular gantry cranes also made of steel wires.
With extreme heat, these expand and begin to sink. This lowers the height of the overhead power cord to dangerous levels, meaning it could become entangled in the pantograph, a device on the roof of the train, which connects it to the wires.