With temperatures set to soar across the country, Scotland’s Railway is putting plans in place to keep passengers moving.
It is thought that the heat forecast for Monday and Tuesday could cause problems for the country’s railway tracks.
During heatwaves, the tracks can be up to 20C hotter than the normal temperature. This increase can cause the rails to expand which can potentially lead to them buckling or curving.
Liam Sumpter, Network Rail Scotland route director, said: “Our engineers will be out throughout the weekend and into next week monitoring rail temperatures and working hard to keep customers on the move.
“We’re urging passengers to plan their journeys carefully, especially on cross-border routes as temperatures in England and Wales will be even more extreme than those we will face in Scotland.”
Track inspections
Network Rail engineers will carry out additional track inspections to check for heat-related problems.
At certain locations, special remote monitoring equipment has been deployed to help spot rails which are becoming too hot.
The engineers have also been artificially stretching some rails, in known problem areas, to help rails cope with the dramatic rise in temperature.
Some potential hotspot rails have even been painted white in attempt to reflect the sun. This can help keep rails up to 10C cooler.
