How severe weather can affect our trains

How can severe weather affect the railway?

Wind, rain and storms

Strong winds, heavy rain and storms can cause flooding, fallen trees, stray debris on the track and even landslides.

These conditions may mean trains run at lower speeds or services are adjusted for safety. In extreme cases, they could lead to cancelled trains. Learn more about what stormy weather does to the railway.

Ice and snow

When temperatures drop, even a light rain or a dusting of snow can freeze onto our tracks. Ice or compacted snow can create a barrier on the electric rail, slowing trains down. In extreme cases, this can halt trains. 

Ice can affect track points (the mechanisms allowing trains to change tracks) by causing them to freeze or become jammed. It can also affect the couplings between carriages, limiting the flexibility and the number of available trains.

Snow and wind can also pile up as drifts, presenting additional risks and requiring extra caution from our drivers and infrastructure teams. Find out more about wintry weather and the railway.

Hot weather

Rails can expand in high temperatures, and overhead lines can sag. This may mean trains need to run slower to allow us to do extra safety checks, which can lead to delays.

How we prepare for, and respond to, severe weather

Revised timetables and safety checks

Whilst we always work hard to keep you moving, during hazardous weather we may need to run fewer trains, temporarily close stations, or, in rare cases, suspend trains altogether if conditions make travel unsafe.

Anti-icing and snow clearance

During winter, specially equipped trains known as “snow-and-ice busters” apply anti-icing fluid to the tracks to clear snow and ice, just like spreading salt on the roads.

Heated track points

Key sections of our network feature insulated and heated track points to prevent ice buildup and help keep trains moving.

Station gritting

Throughout the winter, we grit our stations to keep you safe when moving through them,  boarding and leaving trains.

From October to April, we use the Met Office forecast, which indicates a risk of ice, to determine whether we need to grit or not. When road surface temperatures are expected to be less than 0.5°C, we will grit stations before 06:00 am each day.

We know you have places to go, and we work hard to get you there. Although extreme weather presents challenges, we are constantly working with Network Rail to restore services and keep you moving safely.

Thank you for your understanding and for travelling safely with us.