Commuters travelling across Scotland from Aberdeen and Inverness have been told to expect delays to their journeys due to the hot weather.
ScotRail has announced speed restrictions will be in place from 1pm this afternoon as a preventative measure.
Extreme heat can cause rails and overhead lines to expand so a reduced speed is vital to prevent damage.
Network Rail Scotland has said the speed restrictions will impact “most train routes” from 1pm to 8pm – the warmest part of the day.
Extra time for ScotRail journeys
Those travelling between Aberdeen and Edinburgh or Glasgow will be delayed by up to 10 minutes.
A delay of 10 minutes is also expected between Glasgow Queen Street and Inverness.
From 13:00, a number of speed restrictions will be imposed across Scotland's Railway, these will be in place until 20:00 to help reduce any potential damage the railway line and/or overhead wires may experience today. If you're travelling, please allow yourself extra time. https://t.co/966bFtGR9U
— ScotRail (@ScotRail) July 18, 2022
Train services on the West Highland Line will also face disruption, with journeys between Fort William and Glasgow Queen Street to be delayed by up to 20 minutes.
The speed restriction is expected to be in place until 8pm, but commuters are advised to check their journeys in advance of travelling in case of any further changes.
Unprecedented conditions
The Met Office has issued the first ever red weather warning for extreme as temperatures are expected to hit as high as 40C in parts of England.
Due to this, the East Coast mainline between London’s King Cross and Leeds/York will be restricted to 60mph today – 65mph slower than normal.
The line will be completely closed between these stations from 12pm to 8pm tomorrow, with a skeleton service in the morning.
This means LNER trains from Aberdeen and Inverness to London Kings Cross will terminate at York on Tuesday.
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