Published on : Friday, June 29, 2018
As the United Kingdom basks in the heatwave with the rapid growth of tourist numbers, the ground temperature is also increasing and Translink recorded a high of approximately 50 degree C on Wednesday.
As a precaution they reduced the speed of trains on the network resulting in widespread delays.
On Thursday evening, Translink’s head of rail operations, Richard Knox, said average delays were probably somewhere in the region of five to 10 minutes on Portadown, Bangor, Larne line and maybe about 10 to 15 minutes on the Londonderry corridor.
The company’s infrastructure executive Clive Bradberry said delays caused by hot weather were unprecedented in his time working in Northern Ireland.
The railway network in Northern Ireland is one long string of track rather than the old familiar jointed rails where you would hear the “clickity-clack” Mr Bradberry said.
When the rail temperature rises in Northern Ireland’s normal climate, the weight of the sleeper and the stone compacted around the rail prevents it from buckling.
The reduced speeds are intended to lower the force exerted on the track reducing the risk of buckling.
Tags: heat waves, northern ireland, railway, toruism