Major changes are being made to rail services in Wales after the Met Office a rare heat warning for the whole of the country. People are being warned of extremely high temperatures on Monday and Tuesday.
There is an amber warning for the whole of Wales and for the first time ever a red warning has been issued for parts of the UK because of concerns 40C could be recorded in the UK. R ead more here about the warnings.
Now Transport for Wales (TfW) and Network say that Rail Temporary Speed Restrictions are likely to be in place across the rail network to reduce the risk posed by overheating rails.
Read more : Follow live weather updates from Met Office and BBC Weather
They are asking customers to check before they travel on public transport with hot weather likely to cause disruption and affect travelling conditions with a strong likelihood that journey times will be increased and some short-notice alterations to services.
There are concerns that the extreme temperatures could also lead to other infrastructure and fleet challenges such as track faults and overheating engines. Services are expected to be very busy, particularly to coastal destinations such as the north Wales coast resorts, west Wales and Barry Island. This will make trains and buses feel hotter, even on air-conditioned vehicles.
TfW is recommending customers stay hydrated by taking a bottle of water while travelling. Free water refill points are available at Llandudno, Machynlleth and Cardiff Central stations.
Colin Lea, Transport for Wales’ planning and performance director, said: "We continue to see very high demand for our rail services, particularly during periods of good weather. All available carriages are in service and where possible, we’re providing supplementary road transport.
“It’s now more important than ever to plan ahead using information on our new website, our recently updated app or our social media channels. Passengers should consider whether they want to travel on trains that are likely to be full and standing, and use our Capacity Checker – an online tool that allows customers to see which trains are likely to have the most space available.”
Dan Booth, seasons delivery manager, at Network Rail Wales and Borders, said: “We do everything we can to limit disruption for passengers during hot weather, but safety is our number one priority.
“Speed restrictions are likely to be in place across many parts of Wales and Borders, as slower trains reduce the risk of damage to the tracks when they expand during extreme temperatures. We advise passengers to carry a bottle of water and please check journeys before travelling for any delays or disruption.”
Great Western Railways, which runs trains between south Wales and London, has also warned of delays. Operations Director Richard Rowland said: "Journey times will take longer on parts of the network and we’re again expecting services to be busy this weekend because of the heatwave.
“As temperatures continue to rise on Sunday and into next week we are going to see some more speed restrictions in place, which unfortunately means some services will be cancelled or diverted. Passengers travelling over the next few days should take some sensible precautions, like bringing extra water, allow plenty of time for their journey and check their train is running before leaving home.”
Read next:
