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Wednesday 18 Jun 2025

Passengers urged to plan ahead as heatwave hits Britain

Region & Route:

North West & Central

Passengers should plan ahead and check before they travel with heatwave conditions expected across the country in the coming days. 

With temperatures expected to hit up to 30 degrees and above, planning journeys and carrying water to keep cool and hydrated are vital to help keep safely on the move.

Teams from across Network Rail are prepared and ready to manage the impact of hot weather and respond to any issues. Hot weather can cause track temperatures to reach more than 20 degrees above air temperature, so in some locations, temporary speed restrictions may be needed to allow trains to continue to run safely.

Paul Dellow, head of control for Network Rail's West Coast South route, said: “We want passengers to enjoy the weather and safely get to where they want to go.

“It’s important to be prepared so our advice is to plan ahead, check before you travel, and always carry water with you. Our stations have free water fountains where you can fill bottles to keep hydrated.

"We will be working with our train operator partners to keep everyone moving but if we need to reduce the speed of trains for safety reasons, some journeys might take a little longer. Always check your journey with National Rail Enquiries for the latest information."

Passengers are advised to check before they travel at www.nationalrail.co.uk and can also via their train operator.

For more information on how Network Rail deals with hot weather visit www.networkrail.co.uk/how-we-prevent-tracks-from-getting-too-hot/.