Weather conditions

Weather happens everyday but for the vast majority of the year people get on with their daily lives without any significant impact from the weather.

There are days when the weather does significantly affect our daily routine, causing disruption to our plans for the day and the railway is no exception.

Disruption on the railway is generally associated with poor weather, such as heavy snowfall or high winds, but good weather can also cause disruption.

The types of weather that can affect the railway are described below: 

• Extreme temperatures
  • in extremely high or extremely low temperatures it may be necessary to impose emergency speed restriction leading to increased journey times or cancellations 
  • in low temperatures frost/ice may form on the rail that supplies power to the train causing power supply problems

• High winds
  • it may be necessary to impose emergency speed restrictions leading to increased journey times or cancellations 
  • trees or other objects may be blown on to railway lines and services may be delayed or cancelled whilst the tree/object is safely removed

• Heavy rainfall
  • may cause localised flooding, which may lead to emergency speed restrictions being imposed or lines being closed 
  • landslips may occur and the flood waters may damage the track and embankments that require extensive repair work once the flood waters have gone

• Snow
  • can cause problems with trains stopping and moving off 
  • can "block" points preventing trains being sent on their correct routes  
  • can settle on the rail that supplies power to the train causing power supply problems 

• Lightning
  • lightning can strike signalling equipment and overhead gantries/stanchions damaging the signalling and/or power supply cables