Traffic & Transport
How Britain’s railways are struggling in the heat – and can they be fixed? | Rail industry
Britain’s railways have faced a string of heat-related problems this summer, including a derailment near Lewes in East Sussex two weeks ago that injured 30 people, and another the next day when the rear carriages of a Greater Anglia train derailed “in an upright position” at Wickford railway station in Essex, with no reported injuries.
The problems came during one of the hottest and driest summers on record, with a series of heatwaves, and drought declared across large parts of England and Wales. Britain’s railways, built for a cooler, wetter climate, have been put under pressure. Network Rail said the summer had “presented exceptional challenges to the railway”.
Here’s what we know about how heat affects the rail network and what can be done to tackle it.
What happens to railways in the heat?
Steel expands when it gets hot, and the long, welded steel sections that make up modern railway tracks are no exception. “The classic concern for railways with hot weather is that the track might buckle,” said William Powrie, a professor of geotechnical engineering at the University of Southampton.
As temperatures rise, the rails expand, but their continuous design means there is little room for movement. “If they haven’t got anywhere to go, they end up generating compressive stresses,” Powrie said. “The problem with any sort of structure which has got a compression in it is that it can fail by buckling.”
The consequences can be serious. Just two days of record heat in 2022 led to almost 7,700 cancelled trains and an estimated £30m in costs, according to a taskforce set up by Network Rail after that heatwave.
On a hot day, the rail can reach much higher temperatures than the air. Network Rail says most of the network can operate when track temperatures reach up to 46C, roughly equivalent to an air temperature of 30C. But rails have been recorded at temperatures as high as 51C.
The sleepers and ballast that rails sit on can help stop them from buckling, keeping the track in place – but long periods of heat and drought can dry the soil beneath them. That soil can shrink when it dries, a problem given it “is essentially the foundation for anything on top of it”, said Manu Sasidharan, an assistant professor of infrastructure asset management at University College London.
The weight of passing trains makes the problem worse, putting pressure on the weakened soil and causing it to settle unevenly. Whatever sits on top, including the track, “will follow suit”, Sasidharan said.
While tracks and stations have been continually updated over the decades, some embankments, tunnels and other structures date to the 1800s, when much of the network was first laid.
How do hotter countries cope?
To stop rails from buckling, engineers lay them slightly stretched, a process called pre-stressing. It means the rail has some give in it before it starts expanding in the heat.
In the UK, rails are stretched so that they do not undergo compression until the air temperature passes 27C. That figure sits between the UK’s highest and lowest seasonal rail temperatures, protecting against buckling in the summer and breaking under tension in the winter.
Other countries set that figure differently. In parts of Australia and the US, the so-called stress-free air temperature can exceed 35C. In southern Europe too, where winters rarely get as cold as in the UK, rails are designed for more heat, since there’s less risk of the rail snapping in the cold.
“If you’re looking at Italy, where you don’t really get very low winter temperatures, then you can afford to increase the stress-free temperature,” Powrie said. “The problem is the range of temperatures that we have [in the UK] … in the winter, they go into tension and that can cause the rails to break.”
One option, in theory, could be to re-stress rails between seasons, loosening and retensioning them so the stress-free temperature is set higher for summer and lower for winter, rather than fixed year-round.
Network Rail says: “In Britain, the variations in short-term weather and long-term climate mean that it is neither practical nor cost-effective to implement these measures permanently.”
Another option is to lay track on solid concrete slabs, as in some countries, rather than the more common bed of sleepers and ballast. However, slab track costs about four times as much to install as standard ballasted track, which is why it remains rare across most of the UK network.
What can be done?
One idea under discussion is raising the temperature British rails are built to withstand. The post-2022 taskforce said that on modern, well-supported track the stress-free temperature could rise from 27C to 30C.
“You might say we should actually have a different stress-free temperature in the south of England compared to, say, the north of Scotland,” Powrie said. However, higher stress-free temperature also leaves rails more vulnerable in a cold snap.
Simpler measures are already in use. Some sections of track are painted white to reduce how much heat they absorb. Network Rail says a rail painted white is typically 5-10C cooler.
Both tactics may be necessary as summers get hotter – something that will be increasingly normal amid the climate crisis. All five of the UK’s warmest summers on record have happened since 2000, according to the Met Office.
Monitoring for faults remains difficult, though. The Network Rail taskforce found that fewer than half of the track buckles recorded in 2022 had been identified before they happened.
Part of the issue is the sheer amount of data modern trains generate. Many now carry sensors that pick up rough riding or unusual vibrations, but sifting through it all is a challenge that needs to be automated, experts say.
Much, therefore, still relies on judgment rather than data – for example, a train driver detecting rough riding on one part of the line and reporting it.
As a temporary measure, speed restrictions were imposed on trains in southern Essex in the aftermath of the Wickford derailment.
Did the Lewes derailment happen because of the heat?
It’s impossible to say for sure. An interim report by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) found that a “track geometry irregularity” existed before the derailment, and said investigators had since received reports of rough riding from passengers on that stretch of line.
Sasidharan said early evidence pointed to the track itself. “The initial indication of the derailment … is that it’s a track infrastructure fault, most likely,” he said.
At the site of the derailment, the embankment is built on clay, which shrinks more than other types of soils as it dries out. The RAIB said the clay was “sensitive to variations in water content”, and there was evidence it had shifted before the derailment, though not enough to amount to a significant slip.
Powrie said the location had several things working against it at once, making it a case of what safety experts call the “Swiss cheese” theory of accidents, where one only happens when several small failures line up together.
The derailment happened on a bend – where more force is exerted on the track – and close to where the track leaves a bridge and moves on to the embankment.
Powrie said these transition points were a natural weak spot because the track had to cope with a sudden change from something rigid to ground that could shift, especially when it was dried out. “It wouldn’t surprise me if the defect turned out to be related to the dryness,” he said, “but I don’t really want to speculate.”
Network Rail has said it is “fully committed to supporting the continuing investigation and acting on any lessons that emerge from its findings”.
It said: “Safety is and will always remain our highest priority. While Britain’s railway is one of the safest in the world, when incidents like this occur it is essential that we understand exactly what happened and identify any lessons that can be learned.
“Given the complexity of the issues being examined, it is important that the independent investigation is allowed to reach its conclusions. We will continue to cooperate fully with the RAIB throughout this process.”
Traffic & Transport
Number of cloned number plates on UK roads at record high, data shows | Transport
The number of reported “cloned” vehicles involved in offences on UK roads has reached a record high, official data shows.
More than 11,400 drivers contacted the DVLA last year after being issued with fines for offences they said they did not recognise or accept responsibility for – most of which are believed to be down to cloning, where a number plate is copied fraudulently on similar vehicles to avoid enforcement cameras.
The number of complaints about misattribution was 9% higher than in 2024 and almost double the figure recorded in 2018, according to the RAC motoring organisation, which analysed data obtained under freedom of information requests.
The rising figures underscore concerns about the number of illegal number plates in use, allowing criminals to evade detection and dangerous drivers to avoid being caught.
Although drivers should provide number plate suppliers with the V5C vehicle logbook and proof of identity, an investigation last year uncovered more than 130 official suppliers in the UK willing to sell cloned versions, which allow drivers to dodge police and congestion charges.
Cloning vehicles has left many innocent car owners having to struggle to prove they were not responsible when enforcement camera images apparently caught their vehicle committing offences.
A parallel concern is the use of “ghost” plates which are designed to be unreadable by the UK’s 18,000 automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras, which enforce safety measures such as speed limits or lane closures on smart motorways.
The RAC said the UK needed to overhaul an outdated and poorly regulated number plate system. Its head of policy, Simon Williams, said: “If number plate suppliers were carrying out all the checks they’re supposed to, it would be much harder for dodgy drivers to buy cloned plates in the first place. It’s only when a fine arrives at a vehicle keeper’s home address that they realise someone else is driving around using their vehicle’s number plate illegally.”
He said that more also needed to be done to catch drivers with ghost plates, “whether that’s more police officers being equipped with handheld devices that can detect if plates are unreadable, updating ANPR cameras and introducing higher security standards for number plates and for those who produce them”.
The government last month said there would be a new nationwide crackdown on illegal number plates, with funding from the Department for Transport for a new roads policing team. A new National Roads Policing Coordination Centre would share intelligence as well as trialling new technology such as specialised goggles to detect number plates that have been designed to be unreadable by cameras.
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Drivers using an incorrectly displayed number plate can be fined up to £1,000.
A Department for Transport spokesperson said: “We’re cracking down on illegal number plates with significant investment in a new roads policing team and innovative tech to stamp out the scourge of cloned numberplates.
“Illegal number plates help facilitate crime, and we are supporting the police to work with the DVLA to make it easier to report these crimes and support victims through a new digital tool.”
Traffic & Transport
‘A big responsibility’: Clifton Suspension Bridge master hails £7.6m renovation | Bristol
The job does not give the holder age-old perks such as the right to drive sheep across the great structure, but the title “bridge master” does have a certain ring to it.
“I don’t tend to say I’m the bridge master when I’m at a party,” said Tristan Ralph, the current holder of the title. “But people do seem to know and bring it up. It’s a job less ordinary, isn’t it? It’s a Victorian sounding title and people are really, really interested.”
There is, however, nothing ceremonial about the title. Ralph is in charge of maintaining and running the Clifton Suspension Bridge, a UK feat of engineering, without any public money.
“It does feel a big responsibility,” said Ralph. “When the chairman of the trustees rang to say we’d like you to do it, you suddenly feel the pressure. It’s so famous and people in Bristol, quite rightly, are proud and almost possessive of it. Bristolians think: ‘It’s our bridge.’”
The bridge master – and the not-for-profit charity the Clifton Suspension Bridge Trust – have the task of maintaining the bridge “in perpetuity”. “I’m a temporary custodian,” Ralph said. “When I’m finished, I have to make sure it is handed on in just [as] good a condition or better than I inherited it.”
Ralph, a bridge engineer by profession, was speaking to mark the conclusion of a large refurbishment project that has taken two and a half years and involved hand-painting more than 4,000 original iron chain links and installing an energy-efficient lighting system. It has cost about £7.5m. “It’s been a big job,” he said. “But it’s come pretty much bang on budget, which is rare these days.”
That is important because, to many visitors’ surprise, the bridge does not receive public funding. “The upkeep of the bridge, the running of it, the salary costs and everything are all paid only by our toll money,” said Ralph. “People think that we might get something from local or central government. But, no, it’s just the toll money.”
Motorised vehicles – including motorcycles – pay £1 to cross the bridge. There is no charge for pedestrians, cyclists or horse riders. As well as being a beautiful structure, it is also a vital part of Bristol and North Somerset’s transport system.
Ralph said: “It draws the tourists in. We get visitors from hundreds of countries every year but primarily, it’s still a vital piece of local infrastructure. If the bridge wasn’t here, the difference it would make to Bristol traffic would be incredible. We average over 8,000 vehicles a day still. Maintaining it as a transport link is utterly vital.”
The end of the refurbishment does not mean Ralph can rest on his laurels and spend more time hobnobbing with members of the Bridge Owners Forum.
“In a few years, we’ll need to paint the underside of the bridge. The under-bridge gantry unit itself will be replaced over the coming years. So there’s always something. We need to keep on top of things. It’s like your house or your car. If you just ignore it, don’t do things for a couple of years, they start breaking down.”
As in most walks of life, the climate emergency is a challenge Ralph and the trust are having to face. “We were monitoring the bridge daily in the summer with the very hot weather. And maybe if the bridge was being designed today, there would be a little bit more robustness around wind.”
The prevailing south-west wind is not usually a problem and the bridge rarely has to close but if it blows directly through the Avon Gorge it can be more difficult. “We need to keep an eye at both the magnitude of any wind events but also their frequency,” Ralph said.
The engineer admires the bridge’s designers, including Isambard Kingdom Brunel. “It’s remarkably advanced for its time.”
And there is no sign that its days are numbered, largely because the Victorians did not skimp. Ralph said: “There are three layers of chains. The original Brunel design only had two, but because it went from a timber design to a cast-iron deck, they upped it to three.
“There’s a little bit of comfort in there. Today there might be pressure to say, well, can you keep it to two, but in Victorian times they did like to add a little bit of meat on the bones.
“It doesn’t have a finite life. There’s no end date in our plans. We all just keep it going in the highest standards as we can. It’s in really good condition as long as we keep doing what we need to do, keep our attention on it and don’t let things drift. Forever is a long time but there’s no reason why we have any need to worry at the moment.”
Uber has begun a trial of autonomous vehicles on the streets of Manchester as it looks to bring robotaxis to cities around the UK.
The first self-driving cars are operating, using the technology of its partner firms Pony and Verne, with whom Uber recently launched Europe’s first autonomous taxi service in the Croatian capital, Zagreb.
Uber said it was “excited to take this first step toward making this technology accessible to people across the UK”.
In social media posts, Verne said it had “started our autonomous vehicle testing in Manchester”, while Pony said there were “plans to bring robotaxis to the city” and that testing was under way.
The tests involve the company mapping the streets of the city in north-west England with a safety driver behind the wheel and no passengers.
Limited passenger services started last month in London, but with a safety driver in the front seat of cars supplied by Wayve under Transport for London’s licensing rules for private hire vehicles.
The next steps are unclear. Opposition from Uber drivers, their unions and the capital’s politicians to the rollout of robotaxis is mounting. The GMB and ADCU unions have both said thousands of drivers jobs will be lost and have called for help for those affected.
A critical report from London assembly’s transport committee this week called for the government to devolve authority over autonomous taxi services.
It said there was “considerable uncertainty about many of the claimed benefits of autonomous passenger vehicles”, and fears over the impact on public transport and congestion, as well as safeguarding and accessibility for disabled passengers.
There has been no official application to launch passenger services in Manchester so far, and the vehicles are operating under government licence via the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) and the Department for Transport.
A spokesperson for Transport for Greater Manchester said it wanted the city’s taxis to be the safest in the country.
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“New technologies play an increasingly important role in the growth of our city region,” they said. “But they need to be introduced responsibly, safely and with real thought about what it means for our residents.
“Although no applications have been made to operate driverless taxis in the Greater Manchester, we’re aware of potential interest from companies to do so.
“Safety will always be our top priority, and we will need strong assurances that no vehicles will operate on our roads that pose any risk to residents.”
Uber said it expected to offering robotaxi trips in as many as 15 cities worldwide by the end of 2026, mainly in the US and the Middle East.
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