Commuters in the United Kingdom are experiencing significant travel disruptions this week as trains are being cancelled and speed restrictions imposed due to fears that extreme heat could damage rail infrastructure. Network Rail has implemented these measures across several parts of the country, leading to delays and outright cancellations of services.
This action follows two train derailments that occurred within a 24-hour period last week, which are suspected to be linked to the record-breaking temperatures affecting the tracks. On Thursday, a train carrying 150 passengers derailed near Lewes, resulting in two serious injuries and 18 others requiring hospital treatment. The following day, another train with 60 passengers derailed at Wickford, though no injuries were reported in that incident. The Rail Accident Investigation Branch is currently investigating both derailments.
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander acknowledged passenger concerns, stating that the industry is actively monitoring track temperatures and implementing speed restrictions where necessary to manage the heat's impact. In the Anglia region, trains are operating at reduced speeds between King’s Lynn and Ely, and Cambridge, due to concerns that dried and shrunk soil beneath the lines may have caused tracks to become uneven. Engineers worked through the previous week to address these issues, and Greater Anglia has issued a revised timetable that will remain in effect until temperatures decrease.
The speed restrictions mean longer journey times; for example, a trip from Waterloo to Exeter St Davids is now expected to take nearly half an hour longer than its usual three hours. Services between Lewes and Eastbourne are suspended indefinitely, with further disruptions anticipated across the East Sussex network throughout the week. Bruce Williamson of the campaign group RailFuture noted that the derailments are likely to cause anxiety for commuters, while also cautioning against definitive conclusions about the heat's direct role until investigations are complete.
Meanwhile, the intense heat has exacerbated wildfire conditions in Wales. Gurkha troops and a "waterbombing" helicopter have been deployed to assist in tackling major blazes that have forced families to flee their homes. Approximately 100 soldiers from the Queen’s Own Gurkha Logistic Regiment were sent to south and west Wales to aid fire chiefs in controlling widespread wildfires. According to South Wales chief fire officer Fin Monahan, the troops are involved in digging trenches to impede the fires' spread and delivering water. He described the wildfires as spreading rapidly, destroying homes, and posing a significant threat, with some firefighters experiencing heat stress. The service was managing 12 large wildfires, some of which are suspected to have been started deliberately.
Four 14-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of arson in connection with a fire on a mountain near Porth, South Wales, and have since been bailed pending further investigation. The South Wales fire service reported dealing with three significant incidents in Cwmavon, Dowlais, and Darran Park. Firecrews from across the UK were also called to combat blazes in Tredegar, Pontllanfraith, and Ebbw Vale, among other locations, leading to evacuations in several towns including Torfaen and Merthyr Tydfil.