Network Rail launches review of UK rail’s ability to cope in hot weather after heatwave causes train chaos

‘With extreme weather events becoming more frequent as our climate continues to change, we’ve got to pull out all the stops to make our railway as resilient as possible,’ says Network Rail chief

(Gareth Fuller/PA)

Network Rail has launched a “resilience taskforce” to review the UK rail network’s capacity to deal with extreme heat, following Monday and Tuesday’s widespread disruption.

Led by “independent experts”, the taskforce will “make recommendations on how the railway can develop its approach to resilience during hot weather”.

Experts on the team will liaise with countries more experienced in dealing with summer temperatures of 38 degrees and above to review how the UK can prepare the rail network for future heatwaves.

The first results of the review could arrive in around four months, said sources.

A statement from the the infrastructure owner and operator says: “The review will consider four key areas, each led by an independent expert in their field.

“Three of these areas will be focused on gathering insights from other countries and making comparisons with international rail networks that are more used to dealing with extreme heat and fluctuations in temperature.”

Network Rail – along with more than a dozen rail operators – told all rail users to avoid travel wherever possible on Monday and Tuesday, when the UK’s peak temperature hit an all-time record of 40.3 C in Coningsby, Lincolnshire.

The majority of the East Coast main line – from London King’s Cross to York and Leeds – was closed due to the heat, while Avanti West Coast and London Northwestern Railway services from Euston were severely disrupted, with Avanti calling off all trains from mid-afternoon until the evening on Tuesday.

By Wednesday, large swathes of the network saw continued disruption as engineers rushed to repair damage caused by the heatwave and accompanying fires.

The taskforce will be led by Dame Julia Slingo, former chief scientist at the Met Office, and Sir Douglas Oakervee, former chairman of HS2 and Crossrail.

Simon Lane – a former chief executive of railways in New South Wales, Australia – will “explore operational standards, policies and practices which could allow services to continue to operate safely and without highly limiting speed restrictions in extreme heat”.

Meanwhile Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent transport watchdog Transport Focus, will examine how Network Rail communicates with passengers in the run-up to and during periods of extreme weather, as well as in its planning for disruptive events.

Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “The weather we’ve experienced this week has put a huge amount of pressure on our infrastructure, our staff and our passengers, and with extreme weather events becoming more frequent as our climate continues to change, we’ve got to pull out all the stops to make our railway as resilient as possible.

“That’s why I’ve decided to commission this taskforce, spearheaded by leading global experts, whose considerable experience in their fields both in the UK and across the world will arm us with the guidance we need to make our railway resilient in the face of climate change for generations to come.”