Network Rail has announced a programme of vital rail line protection works across its network to ensure safe and reliant travel throughout the summer.
Engineers have been preparing tracks and other infrastructure for hot spells. Rails in direct sunlight can be as much as 20°C hotter than air temperatures and expand as they heat up, causing them to curve or buckle.
Engineers have been stressing sections of track (artificially stretching the rails) in known hot-spot areas to help them cope with sudden rises in temperature and painting the rails white in key locations to reflect the sun, keeping them up to 10°C cooler and helping prevent buckling.
Overhead electric power lines can also expand in prolonged heat, causing them to sag, which can disrupt train services on busy routes as speed restrictions need to be introduced to prevent trains snagging on the wires.
To combat this, the tension in the wires at some locations has been adjusted to levels that will help prevent sagging and keep trains running.
Remote temperature monitoring equipment has been installed on rails at known hotspots allowing decisions on whether to implement speed restrictions to be made in real-time when necessary for safety reasons.
Summer rain can also cause flash-flooding with water quickly running off dry ground onto low-lying rail lines.
Tilt meters are being used to detect slope movement near the railway at nearly 100 sites across Scotland – alerting the railway's controllers of potential problems within two minutes of an alert.
Aerial inspections using the Scotland's Railway helicopter's high-tech thermal imaging equipment is also helping to identify and fix faults at an early stage while meteorologists are monitoring the weather from a specialist control room in real-time to prepare for adverse conditions.
Liam Sumpter, Route Director, Network Rail Scotland, said: "Every year we invest millions of pounds in preparing for the summer months to keep passengers and freight moving.
"We're continuing to prepare for extreme weather using the latest technology, including tilt meters, remote temperature monitoring equipment and thermal imaging equipment for aerial inspections.
"Our engineers, weather experts and everyone else on Scotland's Railway are working incredibly hard to keep the railway reliable for all our customers through the summer and beyond."
Construction News
09/06/2023
Network Rail Announces Essential Summer Maintenance Works


01/04/2025
Wheatley Homes Glasgow, the city's largest social landlord, has unveiled ambitious plans to invest £156 million in improving homes and neighbourhoods across Glasgow over the next three years.
The investment programme, running until 2028, aims to make homes warmer, drier, and more energy-efficient,

01/04/2025
The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) has announced a further £2 million investment over the next two years into its Regional Skills Hub Funding initiative, aimed at addressing critical skills shortages across the UK.
This new funding commitment builds upon an initial £1 mill

01/04/2025
Construction began on Monday (31 March 2025) on a new development set to deliver 19 much-needed wheelchair-accessible homes for social rent in the Newington area of Edinburgh city centre.
Contractor CCG (Scotland) commenced work at the Cowan's Close site on behalf of The City of Edinburgh Council,

01/04/2025
Independent developer Kona Energy has secured a significant Capacity Market contract, valued at approximately £40 million, for its flagship Smeaton battery energy storage system (BESS) project in East Lothian, Scotland.
The 228MW/456MWh Smeaton project, now considered one of the UK's most advanced

01/04/2025
South Ayrshire Council has announced an extension to the ongoing refurbishment project at Prestwick Leisure Club.
Originally commenced in August of last year, the extensive works are now expected to continue until August this year to accommodate a complete overhaul of the changing facilities.
The

01/04/2025
St Andrews Timber & Building Supplies has joined forces with Edinburgh charity Upward Mobility (UpMo) to help establish a new community garden in the south of the city.
UpMo supports and provides opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and autism and its UpMo Grow and UpMo Eat programme

01/04/2025
Barratt and David Wilson Homes Scotland has been awarded the highest 5-star rating in the latest Home Builders Federation (HBF) annual New Homes Customer Satisfaction Survey.
This marks the 16th consecutive year the housebuilder, which encompasses both Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes, has rec

01/04/2025
Story Scotland, a civil engineering specialist, has announced a strategic reorganisation to capitalise on increasing infrastructure investment across Scotland. The company is launching dedicated Transportation and Energy divisions to enhance its service delivery and strengthen its position in the ma

31/03/2025
The demolition of three multi-storey blocks in Glasgow has marked the beginning of a significant £100 million regeneration project in the Wyndford area.
Hundreds of people gathered to witness the controlled explosion that brought down the outdated and unpopular high-rises at 151, 171, and 191 Wynd

31/03/2025
The government has announced the formation of a new taskforce aimed at unlocking surplus public land for housing development. The initiative, which is currently making headlines, will involve a partnership approach to explore new delivery models and establish collaborative agreements between various