How the University of Huddersfield is helping trains run on time during 30°C heatwave temperatures

Description

Researchers at the University of Huddersfield are helping speed up trains and cut delays on the railway in hot weather.

As the UK basks in its third heatwave of the summer, temperatures above 27°C can affect railway tracks meaning Network Rail’s hot weather safety protocols kick in and trains must slow down.

Subject

Paul Molyneux-Berry, principal industrial fellow at the University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research, said: “We have analysed 30 years of data to characterise the buckling risk of different track types and developed a simple measure of the severity of a track buckle.

“Vehicle dynamic simulations of many train types and buckle geometries were then carried out to determine safe speeds in hot weather.”