Network Rail has announced the creation of a new taskforce that will investigate and then make suggestions on how UK railway can improve its approach to resilience during hot weather. The taskforce will be made up of independent industry experts.

After the UK passed 40°C across many parts of the country for the first time, major closures were forced along UK railways lines due to the potential for the lines to buckle in the extreme heat.

During the peak of the UK heatwave National Rail tweeted, “At the end of the day, we and other European countries are all dealing with the impact of climate change. And our priority is to do everything we can to keep you safe.” 

The review was then announced and will focus on four key areas, with each area having a different expert in charge. Firstly, Dame Julia Slingo the former chief scientist at the Met (Meteorological) Office will look into the likelihood and impact of more frequent heatwaves and will help National Rail to effectively use weather forecasting to mitigate the impact of heat on rail infrastructure.

Sir Douglas Oakervee, the former president of the Institution of Civil Engineers will look at options for how rail infrastructure can continue to operate even in high heat, mostly focusing on the track and overhead line equipment which most commonly cause delays

Simon Lane who worked in Australia leading a review for the Victoria government into operating railway infrastructure in extreme heat. Lane will look at operational standards and practices and find ways to allow the system to continue to operate fully

Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent transport watchdog Transport Focus, will oversee laying out how Network Rail should communicate with passengers during periods of disruption.

Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “The weather we’ve experienced this week has put a huge amount of pressure on our infrastructure, our staff and our passengers, and with extreme weather events becoming more frequent as our climate continues to change, we’ve got to pull out all the stops to make our railway as resilient as possible. That’s why I’ve decided to commission this taskforce, spearheaded by leading global experts, whose considerable experience in their fields both in the UK and across the world will arm us with the guidance we need to make our railway resilient in the face of climate change for generations to come.”